Leaving a Spiritual Legacy

As Thanksgiving Day nears, I have been busily preparing for the family gathering that occurs yearly.  It is a time of family, food, and memories.  Then, following Thanksgiving Day, we enter into the Christmas Season.  There we have established all sorts of traditions and memory makers.  I was encouraged in my reading recently about the importance of these memories in creating a legacy for our children and their children.

We all will leave an inheritance for our children in some way, shape, or form.  Whether it is a Godly inheritance or not is up to us.  Whether they accept it or not will be up to them.  With all the traditions we have in our family, I am grateful that, since my husband and I have begun to follow Christ, we have desired to incorporate many Godly traditions into our lives.

GOD'S WORD

Some of those traditions were natural.  On Christmas Eve, my husband reads the Christmas Story from the Bible.  But reading the Word to our children once a year isn't enough.  We read to them often... daily if possible, from the Bible or a Bible Story Book to our children.  Our homeschool is full of the Word of God, as well as Godly Christian stories.  It is important to us to train our children in the Word, for the Word of God is truth.  How will our children ever be able to tell the lies of Satan if they don't know what the Truth of God is?

PRAYER

Prayer is powerful!  We pray together often.  At first this was difficult.  As a new Christian, leading my children in prayer was kind of scary.  But now I make sure my children see and hear me praying, and that we are praying together.  My husband and I, last year, passed on life verses and blessings to our three oldest girls.  This was a powerful night that left a lasting impact on these girls, and it all happened in the sanctity of our home around our dining room table.  These life verses have been powerful in our children's lives already, and it has only been a year since they received them.

THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE US

I am blessed and honored that my children have gotten to spend time with their great-grandmother.  At 81, she has lived a full life.  Her health is not so great now, but for years she has been a foundation and an example of Christ in our lives.  She has served God for years.  When she was young, she was a traveling evangelist with her husband and a talented singer.  At the finish of my earthly work, I pray that God has blessed me with the impact that this little lady has.  Not everyone has the benefit of Christians in our family tree.  But, Christ can redeem that and make us the first of a line of followers of Christ.

RECORDING HISTORY

For many years I used to scrapbook.  While I one day hope to get back to that, I still take many pictures.  It is a joy to look back over the pictures from years past and remember our family times together.  Even simple, everyday moments seem special years later.  "Remember when we did that?"  "That was my favorite outfit then."  "Remember how long your hair was?"  " That was right after I got saved!"   These things are precious and will last forever.  When a fire happens, often the thing most mourned that can't be replaced are the pictures.  Take lots of them.  I have tons of pictures of things my children have done.  The pictures of them doing things for Christ have touched my soul.  Their children, my grandchildren, will get to see their parents and grandparents getting baptized, acting in the Christmas pageant, singing worship on stage, and even preaching!

TAKE THEM TO GOD'S HOUSE

It may seem obvious, but so many have strayed away from this vital principle in building a spiritual legacy.  Take your children to church!  Take them to where they can learn about God with other believers.  Encourage them to get involved in Kingdom work.  Whether your church is a building, a house church, or a Bible Study a couple times a week with friends, being with other believers, studying the Word and praying together, is something that is a gift from God.  This world wants to tear us down, but the fellowship with other true believers can be an amazing encouragement.

HOMESCHOOLING

As silly as it sounds to many, homeschooling has become part of our family legacy.  My grandmother homeschooled my uncle in a day and age when it wasn't acceptable.  She had to fight to get the right to teach her own child.  I felt moved to homeschool, and in obedience, set out on a path that has been life-changing for my entire family.  My husband and I have seen up close and personal the benefits of teaching our children at home.  My children now talk about homeschooling their own children.  I know this is not a choice everyone can make, but God led us here for His purposes.  One of those purposes, I believe, was to train both my children and me and my husband in the things of Christ that have been removed from public schools.  We can get back what has been taken from us as Christians.

MAKE NEW MEMORIES

As much as I love looking at the photo albums and scrapbooks and remembering the past, I can't forget to make new memories.  Time moves on.  Children grow up.  Even if our legacy hasn't been very Christ-honoring in the past, we can only ask for forgiveness and move on.  My husband and I weren't saved until my oldest was a young teenager.  Start fresh.  Anoint your home with prayer and oil.  Pray for your children.  Bless and not curse.  It may start with something as making dinner at the table a priority whenever possible.  Have a family game night or movie night.  Go to church.  Listen to some wonderful Christian music together.  Purposely make some good memories.  It doesn't have to cost a bundle either.  Every year we drive around and look at Christmas lights.  We make Christmas cookies together.  We look for others that we can bless, even if it is with a loaf of homemade bread or a plate of homemade cookies. 

MORE IS CAUGHT THAN TAUGHT

Yes, it is true.  More is caught than taught to our children.  Our lives, our examples, are important in the legacy we leave our children.  Do they see us praying?  Do they see us reading our Bibles?  Do they see us worshiping the living God?  Do they hear us talk of Christ?  Children tend to copy what they see.  They want to know they are loved.  They want to see examples of selflessness, of service, of peace, of contentment.  They need to see positive, Christian examples before them.  Do they see us being obedient to Christ?  Do they see us reaching out to the poor?  Do they see us caring for the needy?  So they see us having mercy and compassion on others?

I read somewhere that we are only remembered, on average, for three generations.  Stories from my great-grandparents are rare.  I know that they also served Christ in ministry.  I know that they were simple, humble people that sacrificed much to be obedient to God's calling.  I praise God for laying a foundation for my children years before I was even born.  Yet, will my great-grandchildren know about me?  Will the traditions and the spiritual legacy pass down from me to my future generations?  I don't control that, but I do know that I pray for it to be so.  My story isn't about me, it is about Christ.  Only He will endure.

A study was done on the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards in 1900.  Jonathan Edwards was a preacher that gave the famous message, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God".  He touched many lives for Christ, and was a doting husband and father.  He blessed his children and spent time with each eleven of his children.  It was said that he would sit with them for an hour each day, talking and praying special blessings over each child.  When his line was researched there were 1400 descendants.
     - 285 were college graduates
     - 300 were preachers
     -13 were noted authors
     - 65 were college presidents
     - 100 were lawyers and one was a dean of a law school
     - 30 were judges
     - 56 were physicians and one was a dean of a medical school
     - 80 held public office
     - Three were United States Senators
     - One was a United States Vice President
     - One was Comptroller of the United States Treasury
     - Over 100 were Christian Missionaries

What legacy are you leaving for your future generations?