I Know the God I Serve

Have you ever seen the show Survivor? My husband and I used to watch it together. It would take us three weeks to get through one episode because he would fall asleep each time. Being my thoughtful, considerate self, I would stop the program so we could finish watching it together later. Now that he is with the LORD, I had planned to never watch the show again but our daughter caught wind of the show and begged for us to watch it together. I never have to worry about her falling asleep during Survivor. She loves the competition aspect and has even asked me if she can be on the show when she gets older. I can appreciate that the show is family-friendly but, as a Christian, I do not have to look far to find aspects of the show that do not coincide with our beliefs. Lies, deception, and manipulation in the name of money do not line up with the principles I want to instill in my child.

Then there are the Survivor gods and the idols, which are staples of the show. I think the idols are the most obvious example of Christian opposition hiding in plain sight. The Bible speaks extensively against worshipping false idols and yet on this show the contestants vie for immunity idols and search for hidden idols. Idols give them power they would otherwise not have so, as a Christian, I recognize things that may seem innocent to others, but blatantly go against God. I would never want my daughter to be on Survivor but, as an adult, she will be capable of making her own decisions. “Well, can I be on Survivor when I grow up?” she asked again. “What about all the idols,” I asked her. “I don't worship idols,” she said. “I know the God I serve!” Wow, I thought to myself, holding back tears of joy, I could not have asked for a better response. “I know the God I Serve?” Priceless.

I am so grateful and so pleased with my child, not because she is a genius, not because she is stunningly gorgeous or incredibly talented but because she has a relationship with God. At six years old she knows in whom she believes and she is confident in the God she serves. As a mother, what more could I ask for? Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” If we seek the Kingdom of God, His Will, and His Word for our children, if we show them how to seek God for themselves, no good thing will He withhold from us or them.

Genesis 18:19 says, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD to do justice and judgment, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.” God chose to use Abraham for His will because He could trust that Abraham would lead his family, and his children in the ways of the LORD. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9 it says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Moses was talking to the Children of Israel. He was on his way out and he knew it but he wanted to make sure the Israelites did not forget the goodness of the LORD. Moses wanted to make sure they did not forget who brought them out of Egypt, he wanted to make sure they knew the commandments, followed them, and taught all of this to their children so that they too could serve the LORD.

In his 1967 inaugural address, President Ronald Reagan said, “Freedom…is never more than one generation away from extinction.” This was the most memorable statement of his career and yet it was not original, he got it from the Bible. Almighty God stressed the importance of teaching the children because it only takes a generation to forget or reject that which you once knew. When Joshua looked around, he saw a generation of people who had not crossed the barren Red Sea. He saw people who had not experienced the miraculous works of God through Moses. He saw people who were in danger of completely turning away from God. Joshua gave them a choice, “Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). In contemporary times, we are already living among generations of people who defy the LORD intentionally, some even for fun. Do not let that be true of your household.

I was talking to our daughter about friendship the other day and I told her, “As you grow, one day you will find that Jesus is your best friend.” She said, “Jesus is already my best friend.” Teach them what they need to know so that they know with confidence the God they serve.