3 Chairs and Granny's Angel

Years ago I heard a sermon preached by Bruce Wilkinson at a Promise Keepers conference for Pastors in Atlanta.  It was a powerful conference like all the Promise Keeper conferences were and this particular sermon has stuck in my head.  The gist of that sermon is that, represented by 3 chairs, are three generations.  Rev. Wilkinson was using the analogy to speak to the adage "familiarity breeds contempt."

• In the first chair sits the individual who has been saved out of a life of sin.  Their life has been changed due to the blood of Christ and they know that from which they have been delivered and are thankful.  Their life is focused on devotion and lived by faith.  
• In the second chair sits their children.  They have been raised in the church and have been sheltered from the worst effects of sin.  They have been provided Godly examples and given opportunities their parents never had to grow spiritually.  But, because of this they also don't value their faith to the same degree and their devotion is tempered by religiosity.  
• In the third chair sits their children.  They, for the most part see their Grandparents as restrictive, and the model their parent's have set in things of the faith is tempered by conformity and complacency.  There is a general antipathy toward devotion and a godly passion is largely unknown.

I don't believe this is a pattern which has to happen, although I've seen it happen.  But I do know that it should make us all stop and evaluate the depth of our devotion and passion for the things of God.  Nicole Mullen has a song: Granny's Angel which I think echoes the sentiment of not losing track of what the older generation has to pass on.  The chorus goes like this:

Cause you can't keep livin' on granny's Angel
See it's about time you get one of your own
I'm telling you can't keep livin' on granny's Angel
'Cause whatcha gonna do when granny's gone

Read more: Nicole C. Mullen - Granny's Angel Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

I believe this fits well into a discussion about Leadership because it is part of our responsibility to lead the next generation into their own personal, and meaningful, relationship with Jesus Christ, and that will start with how we live our lives as role models.