I was recently in Canberra attending the Nation Policy Forum for Christian Schools. This annual event allows all Christian schools from around Australia to gather and develop consistent policies on issues pertaining to the future of schools in this network. This year one of the Keynote speakers was Will Graham, the grandson of Billy Graham. Many of you would know that Billy Graham is one of my favourite people of all time. Indeed he is been included on “Gallup’s list of most admired men and women” 55 times since 1955, more than any other individual in the world. Now at 97.5 years old, he has finally retired from preaching the word of God, but remains connected to his Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Will Graham is in fact the 4th generation of William Graham. His great grandfather was William Franklin Graham (known as William), his grandfather is the Billy Graham, his father is William Franklin Graham (known as Franklin) and now his son is William Franklin Graham (known as Quin). The most interesting part of this is the family heritage that now spans these generations. It is incredible to see the foundations of Billy Graham have become family foundations for generations to follow. Faith, values and beliefs all follow from our experiences with our parents.
I’m reading through the Old Testament at the moment, and I am continually fascinated to see how the heritage of forefathers can change the world for future generations. As parents we need to be aware that our decisions and actions have a long term implication on future generations, and this is not only from a prosperity perspective, but also from a foundational perspective. What we value, what we do, how we respond are all critical to the formation of strong young men and women who will shepherd our future families.
Never before have I seen the responsibility for parents to stand up and lead their children in paths away from the incredible damage that we are seeing from the infiltration of digital technology that is destroying the stability of our children. What is becoming more and more evident to us in leadership is that many of our youth are rejecting the values established through family lineage in preference for the mistaken ideals they are confronting on social media and mindless gaming. It is therefore essential that we make conscious decisions about our actions and focus on our behaviours, language and attitudes, so that our children will see the difference.
I am often reminded of the message in Philippians 4:8;
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
We are at a time in our history when we need to work out what are the things we truly value and want to pass through our future generations. Our faith, our values, our actions and our decisions are what our children will remember. In your families, please establish these fundamentals and make sure we as parents consistently uphold and demonstrate these values so that our children will become the moral and ethical leaders of the next generation.
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