Leaving a Legacy

by Tara Wentworth

 

 

Recently I attended the memorial (funeral) service of a man who had passed away.  Opportunity was given for those who wished to share some thoughts about the deceased.  One grandson, amongst the many that were present, spoke about his grandfather.  He shared about a particular incident that stood out to him and how much it had meant to him.

What kind of legacy are you leaving your children and grandchildren?  What will they say, given the opportunity, about you?  How have you impacted their lives?

I have attended three funerals/ memorial services in the last few months.  All three of these men died at an earlier age than they should have (for a full life expectancy).  All three left a legacy.  Not all of them lived their lives well or did not finish their race well.  They made some very bad choices in their lives which not only affected them, but also their families and friends.  Although every person has some good qualities that we want to remember, when they are overshadowed by enough negatives, it can affect everyone, especially the younger family members in a negative way.

Parenting is such an awesome responsibility.  To know that your life, your example, your input into the lives of vulnerable, impressionable children, can affect their destinies, is very sobering to me.  The word legacy means a bequeathal, either something tangible given to someone after death by means of a will or to hand down something such as knowledge or a practice to future generations.  The legacy of our lives can impact generations.  It can start by just showing a child how much you value them, by spending quality time with them, going to ball games, helping them with a school project or just having a “date” with each one.  Investing quality time in their lives can do more to impact them  than anything of material value you could give them.

As I think about several examples in the scriptures, I am reminded of some the kings of Israel.  Over and over it states – and so-and-so (son) followed after the ways of his father.  Both godly kings and ungodly kings set examples for their sons, and most of them were just like their fathers.  This was also true of some of the priests in the Old Testament.

One positive example in the New Testament is that of Timothy.  Paul, who trained him, commended his godly mother and grandmother for raising him in a godly way. (2 Timothy 1:5)  He went on to pastor one of the greatest churches in Asia in the city of Ephesus.

Several of Jesus’ own disciples, James and John, had a godly mother that may have been amongst the women who traveled with Jesus and the disciples and ministered to them.  She certainly wanted them to succeed in their mission (to the point of pressing Jesus to promise something to them that was not His to give!) (Matthew 20:20-21)

We can teach our children to love God and care for one another and our world by our godly example or we can teach then to lightly esteem the things of God and become selfish and abusive to others.  The choice is ours.  What kind of legacy are you leaving your children and grandchildren?

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