For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Colossians 2:9–10 (NLT)
If you are a first-generation Christian, you likely have a very clear understanding of what it means to give your life to Christ. You know what your life was like before and what it’s like now. You recall the shame, condemnation and emptiness you felt and you remember the hope, excitement and passion of beginning a new life with Jesus.
Second generation Christians grow up knowing Jesus from a young age. And although we’re so glad they never experienced living without Him, sometimes they can begin to take their Christian life for granted.
In fact, many of these people know about Jesus, but never really form a personal relationship with Him. They’ve been taught right from wrong and can modify their behavior to match what people expect of them, but they’ve never really established who they are inside. They’ve never learned who they are in Christ. If you’re a parent, you can make sure that your second-generation kids don’t fall away from a relationship with Jesus by teaching them two very important things:
1. Who God really is.
2. Who they are as followers of Christ.
If you’re a second generation Christian and you’re just realizing that you’ve been going through the motions without a firm grasp on these two points, it’s time you search them out. You see, you can’t just follow what your parents have done without any real internal motivation of your own. You need to know who you are and who Jesus is to you, and from there you’ll live the kind of life Jesus died for you to have.