We’ve all heard the term “sins of the father”. This simply means that the sins of the father are visited upon his children. But how does this happen?
In 2 Samuel, David committed two terrible sins. He’s committed adultery and murder. The Bible reads, ‘Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the 
Hittite to be your wife.’ When Bathsheba becomes pregnant, David doesn’t step up and admit he did wrong. No, he sends her husband Uriah to the head of the battlefield knowing he will be killed.
David’s story then becomes a sad one. The son he conceived with Bathsheba dies, another son rapes his sister, one son kills another, and one tries to take over David’s kingdom. Could it be they all learned what their father had done?
Children learn by watching, not listening. If you do drugs, lie to your boss, or bully others, your children will eventually do the same themselves. Where do most kids learn their first curse words? From their parents.
We need to raise our children to do what is right. If we don’t do drugs, and explain to our children why it’s so 
dangerous, they might not want to try them at all. However, telling your kids the dangers of smoking while you have a cigarette hanging out of your mouth doesn’t come across as true.
Not only should we not sin, but we must teach our children how to treat others. If you show respect to the minister but shun the cleaning woman, you’re teaching your children that titles matter. However, if you go out and feed the homeless instead of heading to the stadium to meet that famous baseball player, you’re teaching your children that everyone is important.
We must teach our children the correct ways. It will then break that cycle of ongoing sins such as drug use, alcoholism, gluttony, greed, and pride. And the best way to teach that is through God’s word. If we read the Bible in front of our children, they will read the Bible. If we pray in front of them, they will pray. However, if you find no time for God, your 
children will do the same.
Laziness is running rampant in this society. Too many expect the government to fix such things as obesity and “wants” of our society instead of just needs. People feel entitled without doing anything to deserve it. And it’s being passed down from generation to generation. We must teach our child that hard work pays off. We must teach our children there are consequences for their actions.
Most importantly, we must be the guide that shows our children how to live correctly in order to stave off the hardships that could not only visit them, but their own children as well.
Thank you, Kathryn. Truer words were never spoken. I was a smoker for 33 years because my mom always told me about the dangers of smoking with a lit cigarette in her hand or mouth. Fortunately, God brought me to a point where I had to quit, but without Him, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.
I’m glad to hear you quit smoking. It can affect so many things other than your own health. I smoked off and on until I was pregnant with my youngest, then quit for good. And with God, anything is possible.