Skip to main content

What Will Be Your Legacy?

Genesis 48:15-16
15 Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm —may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth."
We were blessed to have our daughter Melinda came visit with us for this Thanksgiving Holiday. As parents, we are naturally proud of her and all the things she is accomplishing in the Lord. She is truly wise beyond her years but most importantly, God plays the primary role in her life. I heard her giving testimony to her friends, she reads her bible everyday, and we discussed life from a biblical prospective.

I began thinking about my legacy and what I would leave to my children when I am finally called home. The legacy we can leave our children can take on two distinct forms: spiritual and material. When we often talk about a legacy it is often based on material things: money, cars, homes, and investments. Most insurance commercials urge us to take out their policies, if for nothing else but to pay for our final expenses, but I am not talking about material things because these things shall come. (Matthew 6:33 Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.) I want to leave my children with a spiritual blessing! I want to leave them a spiritual legacy!

It is through the spiritual and material blessings and lessons that we have the power to leave a gift; through living by example, and teaching our children to pray, fast, worship, and love God at an early age, the bible says in Proverbs 22:6 that we should “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Thoughtful words and careful articulation of our values and desires reinforces our actions of what our children observe and emulate in us. This is a gift we can give that we can start giving now.

From today’s text we see that Jacob (Israel) blessed his Grandsons. He essentially adopted them. He did not want them to out do their father in a material since; but he wanted them to succeed in the inheritance of God’s promise made to Abraham. Thus, this old man, blind and dying, teaches his young Grandsons to take their inheritance up with the people of God. He appoints each of them to be the head of a tribe, a double honor! It is not easy to teach our children to break through the temptations of worldly wealth and preferment and to embrace faith. We must live our lives to give authority and significance to our dying exhortations, whereby we extend our legacy full of spiritual consolation. It is better to live low in faith and in the church, than to live high out of it. What legacy are you leaving your family? AMEN

By: Elder Michael L. Hargett

Copyright December 2007 © MinTech, Inc.


You can also listen to Peace of God Outreach Ministries live radio broadcast Sunday School featuring Pastors Gary and Patricia Stern every Sunday Morning on the web at http://www.wkrs.com/ from 6:30 AM to 8:30AM (CST) that is 7:30AM to 9:30AM (EST).
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“Truly Giving Thanks”

Monday, November 23, 2009 Colossians 3:17 “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Truly Giving Thanks! I hear people proclaim that they thank God for this and thank God for that and I often wonder do they really mean what they say? Do folk really thank God for waking up in the morning? Do folk truly thank God for use of their right mind? Do folk really praise Him they way he deserves to be praised? For me, I believe most people say it because it has become custom and ritual rather than meaningful. Evident by the way most folk who proclaim these things live their lives. Actions speak louder than words! Folk say they thank God yet they do not live for him. For example, ever seen an award show and a popular performer receives a Grammy. They often begin their acceptance remarks by saying “First, I give honor to God.” But the recording and video they performed represente...
1 comment
Read more

DO NOT LOOK BACK

Genesis 19:26 26But his wife looked back from behind him and she became a pillar of salt. I have been traveling this week on an extended road trip. Let me say that I am grateful and truly blessed for all your prayers and phone calls. I traveled to New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina this passed week. God blessed me to arrive at each of my destinations on time and safely. Along the way, I noticed one thing when I was driving. I always had to keep my eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead of me. I was aware of the traffic behind me through my rear view mirror. I was aware of the traffic around me through my side view mirrors but for the most part my eyes were fixed on the road ahead. So often times in life we look back on our past, we look back on “what was” instead of what is or what could be through Christ. God promises us that He will never leave or never forsake us. God is with us in the good times and through the bad times. He is here today, and he will be there tomorrow and will ...
1 comment
Read more

WAKE UP

Monday, October 12, 2009 Acts 12:5-11 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on...
1 comment
Read more