Decide To Take Responsibility For Your Influence - Making Tough Decisions with Confidence

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel.” (Judges 2:10, NIV)

I had a bad habit of voicing criticism about those on the screen and those around me. When my children started doing the same, I was shocked—until I realized that I had modeled this to them.

We don’t just pass on physical traits to our children, we can pass on negative character tendencies and sinful patterns as well. When we see our kids imitating those things, it can be discouraging. It’s tempting to downplay this or make excuses, but what if we take responsibility and commit to taking steps toward healing?

We can write a new story for our family line, with God’s help!

Judges 2:10 is one of the most sobering verses in the Bible as it discloses that after Joshua died, a whole generation grew up that didn’t know the Lord or what He had done for Israel.

How do we prevent this from happening in our lifetime?

If we want to influence a generation effectively for God’s kingdom, we need to know Jesus intimately ourselves. We can’t pass on what we haven’t first received and put into practice. We aren’t required to follow Jesus perfectly, but we should follow Him honestly—admitting our need for Him, not just for salvation, but for navigating daily life.

This is not a guilt trip, but an opportunity to grow in grace as we commit to influencing those around us for good, for God’s glory. One of the most powerful ways we can do this is by admitting when we mess up and how much we need Jesus. The goal of this life isn’t to do it perfectly, but to use our lives to point to the Perfect One–Jesus.