Sin in the Background . . . Grace in the Foreground

Robert Frost wrote, "Home is the place where, if you have to go there, they have to take you in." Humorist Tom Mullen added a postscript. He said, "Actually, home is the place where, if you live there, something always has to be fixed!"

Families have fallen short of the glory of God ever since Adam blamed his wife for their sin and Eve said "the devil made me do it." The Bible tells about one family problem after another. Instead of being his brother's keeper, Cain was his brother's murderer. Though he was a man after God's own heart, David fell into adultery and endured the pain of his sons' rebellion. If your family is less than perfect, you have lots of company!

One of the most interesting biblical examples is Josiah. He came from a rough background. His grandfather Manasseh, who ruled Judah for 55 years, was so evil that "he sacrificed his sons in the fire . . . practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists" (2 Chronicles 33:6). Manasseh's son Amon (Josiah's father) was even worse. "Amon worshiped and offered sacrifices to all the idols Manasseh had made. But unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord; Amon increased his guilt" (2 Chronicles 33:22, 23). Eventually Amon's own officials assassinated him. Then others rose up and killed the conspirators, and they took Josiah and made him king in Amon's place.

"Like father, like son," the saying goes. So how would we expect Josiah to turn out? His grandfather set a terrible example, his evil dad was murdered, and Josiah found himself thrust into the role of king at the tender age of eight. (Imagine what an eight-year-old king might do! Was he tempted to give orders like, "I want ice cream delivered to my room, and I want it NOW"?)

But Josiah made a mature choice. "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord . . . not turning aside to the right or to the left" (2 Chronicles 34:2). The same verse says Josiah "walked in the ways of his father David," which is significant because technically Josiah's father was the evil Amon. But Josiah boldly decided not to follow in the footsteps of his biological father. Instead, he chose to seek the God of his spiritual and ancestral father, David. He did so as a teenager "while he was still young" (2 Chronicles 34:3). Under Josiah's leadership the land was purged of idols, the temple of God was repaired, and the Scriptures were rediscovered and read to the people. Widespread spiritual revival was the result.

If you received a healthy upbringing from Christian parents, be thankful and honor them by being faithful to the Lord. But what if you had a rough upbringing? What if your parents and grandparents didn't know the Lord? What if they were foolish, evil, and abusive? Josiah's story offers hope. By God's grace, the cycle of evil in a family can be broken. You can be the one who begins to turn things around—even while you're young.

No matter what your background, the Lord stands in the foreground. Full of grace and truth, he beckons you to follow him. Generations to come will be incredibly blessed if you will have the courage to say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."