I was able to find time to have my Quiet Time this morning and a public computer so I thought I would take advantage of that!

My title is Personal Faith vs. Family Faith.

As a Christ-follower I have a rich heritage. I accepted Christ and a week later was baptized on Easter Sunday, 1960. I was 8 years old. I am now 66. I have “followed” Christ (if my math is right) for 58 years. I’ve had my ups and downs as all do. I have my moments of pure disgust at my behavior and waywardness, but also have moments of recommitment of my faith. Once when I was in 7th grade, which is probably the first time I began thinking of the ministry. Again in college I made the step to pursue a lifetime in the ministry.

Along the way I was always made aware that any choice I made needd to come from me, from my own personal faith. It couldn’t be my grandfather’s. It couldn’t be my mother’s. It couldn’t be my pastor’s (my faith tanked when he left my Junior year in High School).

I reminded of that when I read the story of Joash in 2 Chronicles 24. A child king at the age of 7, Joash was guided by Jehoiada, the priest and his uncle. As long as Jehoiada was alive and guiding Joash, he reigned well. But once his uncle died,  Joash went off the deep end. (24:15-26). He eventually was assassinated. He was told by Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, that because he had forsaken God, God had forsaken him. What a tragic end to a great start.

“Father, you led me to establish my own faith, to not rely on the faith of my grandfather, mother, or pastor. I thank you for that. Help me as a husband, a father, a grandfather, as a pastor, and as a friend to do the same for them. May they each have a faith that is real and personal.”