Yesterday morning as I was in prayer, the LORD gave me a revelation. Since then, He has given additional insight and understanding. To properly illustrate what He spoke, I am including pictures I put together for your reference.

At the time I received the initial revelation, I was praying about the abortion epidemic in our nation. I heard the LORD respond showing me how we have a tendency to attack the obvious issue, even as we fail to address the underlying cause.

Picture this. A few motivated Christians initiate a small scale demonstration outside of an abortion clinic. Based on their presence, the best possible outcome is that a couple of women decide to turn away at the last moment. A couple of children enter this world that otherwise wouldn’t. No doubt, this is a GOOD thing. Yet the battle remains focused on the manifestation while completely overlooking the cause. Now look to the pictures.

The LORD gave me the simple illustration of a tree. He gave me a simple and yet profound insight. “Whatever produces fruit first enters through the root.” In this illustration, which is by no means all inclusive, the roots are growing in toxic soil. Based on what is feeding the root, apart from the grace of God, there is no doubt that the tree will produce bitter fruit.

We see the issues and we likely have some ideas as to how such roots bring about the fruits seen on this tree. Yet we have a tendency to lop off branches rather than putting an axe to the root. As a result, the measure of success that is realized is short lived. What is removed only grows back. It is not until the root is cut off that a problem is truly addressed.

In understanding the problem, it becomes apparent that the “fruit” cannot be transformed overnight. Most of the growth in the root occurs during childhood. It can take a lifetime to uproot toxic beginnings. So, the way to affect true change is to invest in our children.

In no way am I trying to say that we should ignore the bitter fruit that is being produced in our fallen society, but our attempts to impact change at this level alone require that we constantly prune the same tree as it continues to produce the same bitter fruit.

Yet as we look at what is occurring with our children we know that the problem is getting worse, not better.

In the 1970s and 80s many families opted for mothers to return to work in order to raise the family unit’s standard of living. Now in the present generation, stay at home parents are an exception to the rule.

More marriages end in divorce than in death. Consequently, many of our children are raised in a mishmash of broken and dysfunctional families. Single parent homes and blended families are the norm. This is not to say that such circumstances cannot be overcome but due to the degree of manipulation, dysfunction and childishness commonly exhibited by estranged parents, many children have never experienced unconditional love or seen it modeled. Surely, without intervention, what occurs in one generation will carry on unto the next. Apart from divine intervention, the pattern will get worse, not better.

Our children are being fed a steady diet of lies in our educational system so that even those who begin their journey in faith are filled with doubt by the time they complete their college educations. Homeschooling along with a few select private schools are the only alternatives and again they are only available to the minority.

Our children are “plugged in” to so many types of entertainment and stimulation that their attention spans are decreasing dramatically. Words like, “Be still and know that I am God” are almost completely foreign. Not only is it the amount of time plugged in but the types of things they are plugged into. Television, movies, the internet and video games promote promiscuity, violence and even the occult. The next generation generally spends more time interacting with media than with people.

For all the knowledge being poured into our youth, very little of it comes from the word of God (the Bible). While knowledge is useful, we cannot forget that the natural mind is at enmity with God. Our children can be chocked full of knowledge even as they are lacking in wisdom and understanding.

Our society increasingly feeds and nurtures the “Me, Me, Me” mentality of our children. While it is natural that our children would be egocentric, our society now coddles and even encourages it. As a result our children are lacking in empathy and compassion. Along with this is the prevailing mindset of “wanting it all and wanting it now.”

The list goes on . Our schools, the media and peers now have much greater influence than the average parent. This is simply because the average parent has grown detached from the intimate details of their children’s lives.

Now, just because it has become the norm does not meant that it must remain so. For those reading this who have minor children, you are in a position to make the greatest impact right away. I am among a generation of parents where failure in the things listed above is beginning to impact adult society. As such, I am convicted as I write these words because I know that I have lived them… but you don’t have to.

There is much more to unpackage regarding this revelation but I will leave the rest for you in your personal prayer time. If your heart desires, you CAN make a difference.

To yield sweet fruit you must have proper nutrients at the root.

 

~ Mitch Salmon

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Mitch Salmon is a follower of Jesus Christ and proclaimer of the Good News – The Gospel of Christ Jesus!