The cycle of sin

Friends,

The cycle of violence is well-documented in our world. Abusive people abuse their children, who grow up to abuse their children, who in turn become abusive people themselves. Recently, my wife and I met a mother and daughter who fit this profile tragically well. Mother is a substance abuser. Daughter is a substance abuser. Mother emotionally abandoned her daughter. Daughter has abandoned her son.

It is heartbreaking, but not new:

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin.
2 Kings 15:8-9, NKJV

I suspect that most of the readers of this blog are not violent people, are not substance abusers, and are not thieves or murderers. Yet, what sins are we committing - even those in the name of God - and teaching our children to commit? Are we celebrating man-made holidays that lead us away from Christ? Are we tolerating behaviors and lifestyles that are unequivocally prohibited by Scripture?

These are hard questions, and true repentance is difficult for the flesh. But the consequences of letting them continue to the next generation are truly horrible. Instead, let us show our children that we truly love them by being truly obedient.

Be encouraged, Jose