I want to take a short break from our weekly look at the book of Acts and talk about the sermon topic from Sunday: heritage. I think the idea of passing on a godly heritage has been on my mind more lately because my wife and I have a son who is a senior in high school. Every event this year has been a last…a last homecoming dance, a last home football game, etc. etc. We’re really preparing our hearts to send him off into the world – and it is hard.
So I have been thinking a lot about this. Today I took a dear friend to lunch. He’s a widower who was married for well over a half century (he can’t remember exactly how long…but they got married when they were kids). He has a Christian daughter who married a Christian man…they have children who are following the Lord. So I asked him in between bites of hamburger: how did you do it? Is there a secret?
He kindof laughed at my question and said it would take too long…and he wasn’t sure he even remembered. So I changed the subject and we talked about the Navy and the Korean War. But before we left, he brought my question back up. The secret to his marriage and family, he said, was that he and his wife were best friends.
It may not sound like it, but that’s a brilliant answer. My answer on Sunday was faithfulness. I said a godly heritage comes when we remain faithful. My eyes favorthe faithful of the land so that they may sit down with me. The one who follows the way of integrity may serve me.(Psalm 101:6, HCSB). But that doesn’t answer why faithful.
You can obey the “rules” because you don’t want to get in trouble, or because you think God will zap you if you don’t. Or you can do what the Lord asks because of friendship. That seems to be the reason Jesus is looking for: 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.(John 15:14 (HCSB)
In the same way, you can be faithful to your spouse because it’s a rule, or because you don’t want to get in trouble. But sticking it out isn’t quite the same thing as producing a legacy. It would be better, as my wise friend told me over lunch, to simply be best friends.
Be a friend this week. Take a step toward God. If you’re married, take a step toward your spouse. You will be glad you did.
