Heritage and Humility - Bible Study

Last week, I had my daughter's family and our granddaughter had quite a time digging into her mom's dress up trunk and toys. She recently discovered silver princess gloves (that are made for an 8 year old and are ginormous on her), and a raggedy plastic Hawaiian lei. She also found her mother's old princess shoes and had a blast clomping around the house and dancing in them when she wasn't frolicking through the grass in all of her finery. It was a joy to watch her. But even more precious than watching her literally walk in her mother's shoes, is to hear her ask for the kid's Bible to do her bedtime Bible study or ask to pray. It's that legacy of faith that is being passed down that will matter for eternity. 

An empty plot of land, grandchildren, and humility. 

What do these things have in common? Last week I also traveled through Mississippi and stopped in Laurel, my mom’s hometown, on the plot of land that once held my grandparents’ home. As I walked on the land I was hit with sweet memories of time there and my grandparents—grandmother cooking in the kitchen, Daddy Joe making jokes, the sisters (my mom and her 3 sisters) catching up on their lives, and running around the house and yard with cousins. I was also hit with the thought of the faith that was shared and passed down on that property. Faith that became my heritage and their legacy.

Both my grandparents loved the Lord. In fact, I have a letter that my grandmother wrote to my mom about how God was working as my parents went through the adoption process before they received me. Yes, I’m adopted. I received this beautiful heritage of faith through adoption. Adoption is a full devotional on its own—Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV)  But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

By faith my grandparents and parents stepped forward into the calling of parenthood to lay before their children Christ, the scriptures, and the things of God. Who has God placed in your life to speak Christ to?

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

The scripture above was spoken to the Israelites after Moses gave them the Ten Commandments in the wilderness, but just as God was calling out His people then, He calls us to pass these important truths to those who walk alongside us now. Whether that be biological children or others, God has put each one of us in a unique place to speak life through Christ into the world.

Here’s where humility comes in. God calls us to humility, the opposite of pride, and sometimes humility looks like stepping into task God has called us to even though we feel ill equipped or think there may be someone better for the task—that includes the task of speaking Christ into the lives of children, grandchildren, and other people around us. Child of God, if you are breathing, you are tasked with speaking Christ into the world. Yes, there are people who are more knowledgeable or might appear better equipped—people in ministry for a living, Sunday school teachers, etc. But you have people in your life who look up to you and you spend time with who need to hear about Christ and the teachings of God in His word. It is not prideful to speak Christ into their lives. God has placed them in close relationship with you for a reason. It is humility to trust God and speak.  

Micah 6:8 ESV - He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Philippians 2:3-8 ESV - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Christ in His humility was obedient in death on the cross because He put our eternal welfare above His immediate personal comfort. He had every right to come to earth as King and demand allegiance, but he lived among the people and spoke into their lives.

Stepping up and speaking out can be scary. Jesus Himself suffered for it, but we have the opportunity to make an eternal difference in lives. We do this in the every day—sitting, walking, lying down, rising. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit in us, so wherever we go, God is, and we have the power of God with us.

If you don’t feel up to the task (and even if you do), this is what I suggest:

1. Pray and ask God to help you and give you words to point people to Him, the courage to speak, and the wisdom to see the opportunities(prayer is no small thing)
2. Study God’s word, and specifically study scripture that will help you explain salvation. Just as you study for any test to do your best, you can study God’s word to feel more prepared. (You can find some helps for this on my website here: https://www.kimgriffin.org/home/salvation and on the Bible study page)
3. Practice

Like the faithful believers of old, by faith step into the calling that God has for you. What will your legacy be?

Hebrews 11:1-2 (ESV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.

Below are some verses to spur you on:

Hebrews 11: All of Hebrews 11 is encouraging to see the faith of the Old Testament believers. 

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

John 15:16 (ESV) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Romans 10:14, 17 (ESV) How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching … 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Ephesians 6:18-20 (ESV) praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.