Living Sustainably as a Christian

— Blessings for Generations.

The saying: “God has no grandchildren” is an evergreen among Christians. To be the son or daughter of the most faithful Christian far and wide is not a ticket to heaven. Christian parents can, however, lay an important foundation through their example so that being a Christian appears to their children not only as an attractive possibility, but as the way, the truth and the life.

— Oriented towards the future

With how much enthusiasm many of us as adolescents and young adults defended our faith and expressed our love for Jesus in different ways! Then when marriages began and children were born, we threw ourselves into the family adventure with enthusiasm. As soon as the first child was born, we read to him from the children’s Bible, sang and prayed with him. The longer, the more important other things became: kindergarten, school, house building, job and looking after ageing parents. The first enthusiasm had given way to everyday life: “The air was outside” and the courage evaporated. In this phase of life we become receptive to one or the other distraction from the outside, which is not fundamentally bad, but makes us forget our concern to keep God’s word alive in the lives of our children and in our lives.

— Sustainability — A Catchphrase in our Times

The term sustainability has accompanied us in various areas of life for several years. “Sustainability” has its origins in the English adjective “sustainable” (= to keep something alive, to maintain). The term sustainability is used especially in the forestry sector, but also in the environmental sector in general. It is about using available resources well and responsibly. That means, in all actions and in all decisions, keeping an eye on both the present and the future.

However, sustainability also takes into account findings from the past. Resources, material and immaterial goods, economic and ecological units should be protected, especially if they are not renewable. In the economic area, one speaks of the sustainability triangle with the cornerstones of ecology, economy and social issues.

— Live sustainably

Living sustainably is not an invention of our time. God’s Word calls on us Christians to use our gifts, as well as our financial and spiritual gifts, responsibly and wisely in order to maintain the biblical faith in future generations. What a blessing it is when families love and live God’s word for generations!

Therefore, the “sustainability concept” is very important for Christian parents! Because we also want to keep something alive or, better said, maintain it for future generations: the living faith in our Saviour and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

But how do you do that? The basic principle is: It doesn’t matter what and how much we leave behind to our children, what matters is what we leave behind in their hearts!

This is exactly what contradicts the spirit of our time. We Christians run the risk of attaching more value to material goods or intellectual advancement than trying to win our children’s hearts to Jesus.

God has already given Moses an instruction for sustainability: «Thus, you will fear the Lord, your God, and observe the statutes and commandments that I give you — you, and your children, and your children’s children — all the days of your life, so that you might live a long time… and be careful to obey so that you might prosper and multiply greatly …» (Deuteronomy 6:2 f.)