2 Kings 15:34-35
And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done. Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
Jotham was a good young man who likely loved and respected his father. When he became king of Judah, the Scriptures say that he did all that his father did. Then one word completes how this young man conducted himself. The word is howbeit. In other words, this man did all that his father did, howbeit. The word howbeit is simply saying that he did all, but just a little less. The howbeit in his life was following ALMOST everything that his father did. In other words, he followed his father, but not to the same degree that his father did it.
Most children will do all that their parents do, but a little less. There are always exceptions to this rule, but most of the time, children will always do a bit less than their parents in following the LORD and in the standard by which they live. The proof of this principle is the condition of our society. Society thinks it has improved, but it has actually decayed slowly over time. What we once used to reject in society decades ago, we now accept as normal. This has not happened quickly. The next generation always had a howbeit in their lives that has slowly decayed society. A society does not decay quickly; it decays by one generation do a little less right than the previous generation to eventual decay. If we want to keep our churches and children right, there are some areas we must guard against doing a little less.
First, we must guard against having a little less morality than the previous generation. Just because you are your own person does not give you the right to live a little less right than your parents. Morality does not decay quickly; it decays by doing a little less day after day until one’s morality is gone. We don't need to live a little less moral, but we ought to raise our morals so the next generation doesn't lose their morals.
Second, we must guard against serving God a little less. We live in times when people say, “I don't want to lose my family for the ministry.” This all sounds good, but that is how you raise a generation who doesn't serve the LORD. You can never serve God too much. To say that you will not give the same degree of dedication to serving the LORD is to say that you will increase your fleshly and worldly actions. People don't go bad because they serve God too much; they go bad because they choose to go bad. The Devil has fed many parents the lie not to lose their children by serving the LORD too much, and they have swallowed this lie. Your children will do a little less than you, so if you serve God less, they won’t serve Him at all.
Third, we must guard against lowering expectations of the miraculous. One reason we have so many dying churches is because we have lowered our expectations of what we expect our churches to do. Many have justified mediocrity in church building to their church’s detriment. Let me ask, what is wrong with having a desire to build a large church that reaches a great number of souls? The answer to this question is there is nothing wrong with it. If you lower your expectations to accept mediocrity instead of the miraculous, your children will do less and cancel church. Let's not lower what we do for God, but let’s do more so our children don't do less and leave serving God altogether.
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