Does the way I live affect my family’s salvation?
Even the ones I rarely see? Do I make an impact on them, for or against the Lord?
While reading chapter 18 of Genesis, I discovered something I hadn’t thought about before. It’s about the Lord and the two angels coming by Abraham’s tent. For the full story, feel free to read it. Here’s a glimpse:
- Abraham saw the Lord approaching. He ran to meet Him.
- He bowed himself to the earth
- He requested the Lord stop and rest
- He gave them water to wash their feet
- He served them bread and slaughtered a calf for them
- They ate while Abraham stood by
- When they were done, he walked with them as they started their journey onto Sodom and Gomorrah
I asked myself, Do I run after my Lord and Savior like this? Do I give myself fully to serve Him? If I did, would this affect my family?
The answer:
Yes.
Through Abraham’s humble acceptance of the Lord, Sarah was blessed. In answer to lifelong prayers, her womb would be opened. She would receive a son.
Lot and his two daughters were also saved. If Abraham had not stopped to welcome the Lord (into His life, we might say) He would not have had the chance to petition the Lord for Him to save his family from destruction. The angels continued onto Sodom but spared Lot’s family.
What if Abraham had not served the Lord? Would the Lord have kept going right on by, destroying all of Sodom, including Abraham’s nephew Lot?
We have the chance while we’re here on earth to petition for the souls of our family. Some of us have been doing so for a long time. Some of us are the ones lost. It’s never too late to reach out to Jesus and hold on. It’s never too late for the ones we love. Our relationship with God affects more than just ourselves.
More encouragement:
“As Moses interceded for Israel, his timidity was lost in his deep interest and love for those for whom he had, in the hands of God, been the means of doing so much. The Lord listened to his pleadings and granted his unselfish prayer” (Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 319).
Pray and talk to Jesus. He is mighty to save. He is the author of salvation.
