One of Abraham’s characteristics that stood out to the Lord was that he would direct his children and family to keep the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19). Being a person of faith means imparting the knowledge of God into the next generation. What good was Abraham’s faith if it was only for him? Others needed the same knowledge of the Holy as Abraham had.
The psalmist wrote, “One generation shall praise thy works to another, And shall declare thy mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). It is every biblical Christian’s responsibility to make sure the next generation knows of God’s mighty acts. God has fully revealed Himself in His Word, but it is up us, as Christians, to be sure to open the Word up and share it with others. The thought of sharing the gospel with a stranger may frighten you. That’s a rather common fear. Approaching someone you don’t know, to tell them about Jesus is fraught with uncertainties. Will they reject me? Will an argument ensue? What if they ask me something I don’t have the answer to? What if I sound ignorant? Such uneasiness causes many to avoid sharing their faith with strangers.
Missionary C.T. Studd said, “The light that shines farthest shines brightest nearest home.” You don’t have to travel to a far and distant land in order to be a missionary. The great commission begins in the home. The next generation of disciples can be found in the bedroom down the hall.
Notice what the psalmist doesn’t say. He doesn’t say “One generation shall vaguely mention thy works to another.” Nor does he say, “One generation shall boringly tell of thy works to another.” Rather he says, “One generation shall praise thy works to another.” Nobody buys anything from a boring salesman. Fortune 500 companies don’t spend millions of dollars for a sad advertisement. Potential buyers want to hear the good things about a product. They want to know how that product could make their life better.
Beloved, the next generation needs to hear about the mighty works of the Lord! They need to hear you talk of the goodness of the Lord! Then one day they will turn around and tell another generation of the mighty acts of God.