EXPECT MORE

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Psalm 127:4 (NKJV)

My dad was awesome. He was always encouraging me and he used to embarrass me by saying, “Leon, you’re a better preacher than I ever was.” My dad was a great pastor, but he was determined to have me stand on his shoulders.

Isn’t that a great dream to have for the next generation—to expect them to be bigger and better than we are?

Unfortunately, many Christians expect kids to fall away from Jesus in their teenage years. If that’s what we expect, that’s what we’re going to get. And if kids aren’t getting excited about serving Jesus, we can’t just say, “It’s this day and age,” or “It’s this generation… they’re just selfish.” We have to have faith and invest in the next generation. And if we do, they will exceed our expectations.

We all play a role in launching children into their destinies. Psalm 127 says that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. Metaphorically, it’s saying that parents help to aim their kids in the right direction and launch them into life, but leaders, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family friends, church members and even older kids all play a huge role in a child’s life as well.

To equip the next generation to do great things for God, we all have to expect them to do more and reach higher than we ever have!

Let’s make the effort to get involved in their world. If we expect much of them, while equipping them to live up to those expectations, the next generation will never cease to amaze us. They’ll rise to levels higher than we imagined possible! Let’s believe and expect more from our kids!