2 Chronicles 33:2
But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
Hezekiah was a godly example for most of his life. However, there was one short time that Hezekiah backslid. After God healed him, he strayed from God for a short moment and then came back to God after he backslid.
The damage of backsliding for a moment was done. Manasseh was born during the time of Hezekiah‘s backsliding. Manasseh was influenced during his dad’s short period of backsliding to his destruction. The phrase, But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, is a direct result of Hezekiah backsliding for a moment. He could not take back the influences he exposed his son to when he backslid for a moment. The short time of backsliding resulted in a child doing evil. Had Hezekiah never backslidden, Manasseh would have never learned the wrong ways to live.
It matters not how good of a life you live, one moment of backsliding will influence and expose your children to evils they would have never learned if you never backslid. I can tell you story after story of parents who backslid for a moment and came back to God, but it resulted in their children going the way of the world. It was Lot who was exposed to Egypt while Abram backslid, and though Abram got right with God, the influence on Lot’s life never left him. The tragic story of Lot is because of Abram’s moment of backsliding. You can do much good in your life, but one moment in sin that influenced those you love can never be taken back. The exposure to sin will destroy all the good you invested.
I can also show you many parents who compromised for a short period, and that short period of compromise exposed their children to the wrong way of serving God. You cannot run with compromisers for any length of time without your children learning the compromiser’s ways. I can think of good parents who knew they were compromising, but for the sake of popularity and getting along with friends, they did not take a stand and later regretted that moment of compromise because they lost their children to worldly churches.
One moment of backsliding or compromise is one moment you can never take back the influences these actions will have on your children. You never know who you are influencing when you backslide; therefore, never waste one minute away from the LORD. One minute away from the LORD influences others to live a life away from the LORD. You never know which minute you live will be the most influential minute you have on your children and those following you; therefore, you must make every minute you live to be a minute you live for God so your children and those following you are always influenced for right.
Nobody can ever guarantee that your children or those following you will turn out right for God if you do something, but we can guarantee that we can give your children the best chance to do right if we don't expose them to sin or compromising ways. My friend, it may not be easy taking a stand against compromise, but it is easier to take a stand against compromise than it is to experience the life of hurt of watching your children destroy themselves and their family in worldly churches and sin. If you don't want to expose those you love to wrong influences, never settle to backslide for one second so that you can protect them from wrong influences.