Cockroach Droppings

On Sunday, I showed a clip of Billy the Exterminator. He was on the job—dealing with an infestation of cockroaches.

People were squirming and laughing.

Billy began explaining how the younger cockroaches feed on the older cockroaches’ droppings.

The audience really started laughing when Billy said, “The older/bigger ones go crap in the corner, and the younger ones eat it.”

Yuck.

I couldn’t stop thinking about that all day.

It made me wonder: what are we leaving behind for the next generation?

Is that bumper sticker that says, “I’m spending my kid’s inheritance” true in the church?

Are we feasting, only to leave our droppings behind for the young?

The people of Israel had a saying: “Sour grapes eaten by parents leave a sour taste in the mouths of their children.” (Ezekiel 18.2)

This old saying speaks of what we pass on to the next generation.

Let’s not leave sour grapes (funky attitudes) as an inheritance.

Let’s not leave our droppings as food for our kids.

Instead, let’s think generationally and invest in the young!

When Jesus told Peter, “Feed my lambs” – he wasn’t talking about feeding them sour grapes or crap.

It’s our privilege to bless, provide for, invest in, encourage, believe in, support and set up for success—the next generation.