3 August 2025

MENTORING THE NEXT GENERATION

(Biblical & Spiritual Exhortations: BSE 23)

The Command of Christ to “make disciples of all nations” is not just reaching the Unreached Peoples, which is the missionary endeavor of the Church. In a most practical sense, it is also to mentor the next generation of believers in our church and nation. We ourselves as His disciples must “make disciples” of others within our reach – that is, those in our family and in our church. This will ensure that the church will not die and our family will remain faithful to Christ in the generations to follow.

When we look at the Western World today, we see that Christianity has been overtaken by secularism, unbelief and other religions. It is said that in Western countries generally only 2% -3% attend church regularly. Yet these were the nations that sent out missionaries to evangelize Asia and Africa and the Pacific Islands. Today even in our own countries in Asia many Christian families have “lost” their children to unbelief and even to other religions.

An Example is seen in North Sumatra, where the Batak Tribes were once almost 90% Christian, but now even less than 40%. Many have lost their faith and married those of other religions. Why is this so? It is because the parents and the Church had not discipled their children. This is now also happening in many Christian families in our churches today. When we fail to teach our children the Word of God when young and pray for them diligently, we give the devil the opportunity to snare them into his trap of unbelief and worldliness.

When God delivered Israel out of Egyptian bondage of 430 years, He commanded the parents to teach their children the Word and the Way of the Lord. This is the instruction He gave them: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all our strength. 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” (Deut. 6:5-9). The commandments mentioned above are all those God has given to His people, now written for us in the Holy Bible, the Word of God. Why did God give this command? It is to ensure that the generations to follow will remain faithful to God.

When we are faithful to God and faithful in teaching our children, they will never stray from the Lord and His Word. Proverbs 22:6 gives is this promise: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. When parents and the church fail to do this, we will lose our next generation to the devil. The Bible warns us that we will be accountable for their blood when they are eternally damned (Ezekiel 3:17-19). This is a grave responsibility: the souls of our future generations are at stake. Let us not neglect to disciple and mentor our next generation!

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