The Power of One Generation
Zephaniah 1:1
“The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.”
You should never underestimate the power of one generation. It is amazing how much one generation will affect several generations. I look at my own life and how much previous generations have affected my future. I am a sixth generation preacher. What if one of these men decided to rebel against God and not preach His Word? It could have hurt those whom God has allowed me to influence through my ministry. The power of one generation will never be known until we get to Heaven.
In the verse above, God gives us a glimpse of the power of one generation. Zephaniah was the fourth generation after Hezekiah. The decisions that Hezekiah made to do right affected people to the fourth generation. Yet, it wasn’t just a fourth generation that Hezekiah’s decision influenced, but when you read the end of the verse, you will realize that Zephaniah was a contemporary to Josiah. Josiah was the second king in Judah’s history who influenced a revival in his rule. Zephaniah’s preaching was an influence in this revival. So, the power of Hezekiah’s decision to do right literally influenced a second revival four generations later.
You will never know the power of one generation. You may think your actions and decisions will only affect you, but when you look through the prism of history you will always see that one generation affects several generations.
I think of Joseph, the step-father of Jesus. His one decision not to have Mary killed when he found out she was pregnant literally influenced the eternity of the world. If Joseph would have responded in the flesh and had her killed, everyone would die and go to Hell because there would be no Saviour. His one decision didn’t just influence his life, but continues to influence generations to this day.
Abraham made one decision to have an adulterous affair with Hagar. He never thought that the affair would go any further than his own family. What he didn’t realize is that affair would cause enmity between Isaac and Ishmael to this day. His decision not to trust the LORD and act on his fleshly whims will influence generations to the end of the world.
Friend, I can never stress enough how much you will affect future generations. Your actions will either affect generations positively or adversely. This is why there is no small decision. Every decision you make will influence generations to come. Likewise, there is no insignificant action. You will never know how much one right or wrong action will influence future generations.
I challenge you to consider the ramifications of every decision and action. Never take any decision or action lightly. Always keep in mind that your decisions and actions will influence future generations. The question you need to ask yourself is, will it affect them for good or bad? Strive to be like Hezekiah who influenced future generations for good because of a decision to follow the LORD. Let every decision and action be tempered with how it will influence the generations who will follow.