Turn Hearts

And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before

him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and

the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

Luke 1:16-17

We often hear about the need for us to repent and turn back to the Lord. What we don’t
hear too often is what to do after that. There are patterns we see as the fruit that occurs
as a result. My goal in this article is to lay out a road map for us to follow.

The Gospel of Luke starts with the account of Zechariah in the temple. As he was
performing his priestly duties, an angel from God was sent to him to deliver a message.
I’m sure most of us know the story as it is told every Christmas, but I will do a quick
recap. Zechariah and his wife were childless and old. The angel tells him that he would
become a father. His son was known as John the Baptist.

As the angel was telling him of his soon-to-come bundle of joy, there are a few tasks his
son would accomplish, making a people ready for the Lord.

1. He would turn the Children of Israel back to The Lord.
2. He would turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children.
3. And turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.

I have written previously how it is necessary for repentance to start with us. It is our
responsibility to get the ball rolling in the repentance department before we can even
begin to think of receiving the blessings that come with obedience to God. What I want
to focus on with this article is the second item on the list, turning the hearts of the
fathers back to the children.

When we think of what it takes to see a society reformed, we need to realize that it is
not a simple task; it takes a long time to turn the ship around. We start with repentance,
and then change our focus to generations past our own. In other words, we need the
hearts of our fathers (and mothers) to be turned to their children.

One of the reasons the world is in the state that it is in is due to society buying the lie of
“self” everything. For generations we have been ingrained with the world telling us that
being focused on “self” is the answer to all of our problems. That cannot be further from
the truth. Our focus should always be on what is good and right in the economy of God,
and not what is best for the economy of “self”. The reason families today are in
shambles is because too many parents have bought the lie of “self” to the detriment of
their families.

I have never met somebody who has been divorced who, in their marriage, both parties
were loving and selfless. There has always been one or both parties who have been
self-absorbed to the detriment of their family. In the end, the self-absorbed parties are
neither happier nor better off after the course of destruction has taken its toll. The
effects of those self-absorbed actions take their worst toll on the children.

I would venture to say that if you are reading this, you are already at a point where
your heart has turned to the children. The reason you are taking responsibility for their
education is because you are right now sacrificing yourself because you love your
children and want the best for them. I want to encourage you to hold the course. It is not
easy to deny yourself, but it is rewarding. I have never met a person in my life who ever
regretted loving their kids too much.

One of John the Baptist's assignments was to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the
children. His mission was to prepare people's hearts to receive Jesus. He did just that.
The time he was living in was surrounded by moral decay, political corruption, threats of
war, persecution, social unrest, etc. But his message was one that laid the groundwork
for the Gospel to transform the corrupt world he was surrounded by. When we turn our
hearts toward our children, we are positioning them and ourselves in that same place
where John positioned the people. In a place ready to receive The Lord.

We are in a similar time today as when John was alive. The same timeless message
that he taught of repentance from sin, and a coming judgment is just as applicable
today. The world may be in shambles all around us, but our homes do not have to suffer
the same fate. In our homes we can let God transform them by our simple obedience to
Him. That blessing also comes when our hearts are turned to our children. We allow
God to transform not just our lives, but generations of lives after us.

He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God

and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandment.

Psalm 78:5-7 ESV