Leaving a Legacy | Third Peter

Every father will leave a legacy, whether it be good, bad, or indifferent. If we ask him, God will help us to live a life that honors God, inspires those who follow, and generally elevates the family.

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22 (NASB)

The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children after them. Proverbs 20:7 (NLT)

We may have received a wonderful gift from God-fearing ancestors, or our family may have provided us with much to overcome. In the spirit, every born again person is a brand new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), but when it comes to the soul (the mind, will, and emotions), each of us starts our personal faith journey at a line set by those who came before us. This is one reason it is quite impossible to properly judge a life. We do not always understand a person’s faith journey starting point.

For example, if my family has a history of verbal abuse and alcoholism, I may have developed a very dysfunctional way of coping with life. In contrast, if my family was loving, communicated well, and encouraged me regularly, I have been handed a healthier way of relating to people and have received other tools for success. This does not mean that the child of the alcoholic cannot do wonderfully in life, nor does it imply that the child from a healthier family will not fail. It merely means to one has a head start over the other, if he or she chooses to use it.

Our families’ pasts influences us, but it need not define our lives or legacy.

Regardless of where we begin our life journey, God wants us to live in such a way that those who follow us will have an easier time of it. We can leave a godly and good legacy for our descendants. This is what I call the generational aspect of salvation. Perhaps we can be the generation that enables our families to break free from sin and bondage that has held us captive for generations!

Knowing a little about our family history may help us to better understand how we can move our family forward in God. My own genealogical research has produced some great information. I found godly men and women in my family tree, about whom I knew nothing previously and from whom I am no doubt a benefactor of their passing down spiritual blessings to me and others. Not surprisingly, I also found the opposite, which helps me to know better how to pray and stand by faith.

Alcoholism was prevalent on both sides of my family tree, but my Dad and Mom responded to God’s grace and made decisions that helped to nullify that generational sin’s power to enslave family members. The same can be said for many other families which have their own heroes who stood against longstanding family bondage and sin, making it far easier for those who follow to walk in freedom.

Over my years as a pastor, I worked with many whose family inheritance was atrocious – everything from criminal activity, abandonment, addiction, violence, and abuse of various kinds.

Men who come from these sorts of families have an obvious disadvantage. Those who attempt to be godly husbands and fathers, without ever having experienced or even seen positive examples at home, are heroes in my book.

When the Allies assaulted the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, many men in the first wave gave their lives to make it possible for those who followed to have safe access to the landing areas. Someone had to make the initial assault, and they were chosen. Those who came later in the day benefited immensely from the sacrifices of their predecessors. Establishing a legacy of godliness can compare to what those brave men did.

If we are making a stand to undo generations of family devastation, it is important for us to realize that we will have to fight a pitched battle for our gains. At the end of our life, what we accomplish on behalf of our families may seem less than what some achieved in their lifetimes. But, we should not compare ourselves to others who may have inherited a far better legacy from their ancestors. We should simply be the best spiritual warrior and legacy builder we can be. The progress we make during our lifetimes will help our children and grandchildren go far beyond anything we may accomplish. That will be our reward. Our sons and daughters will carry the banner forward in their time. That’s how godly legacies are begun and passed down. Of course, all of this can only be accomplished by God’s grace!

We can ask ourselves, “What price am I willing to pay to bless my children and grand children with a godly legacy?”

That is between us and God, but whatever we decide and do will be felt by many, many others over time. Future generations may not know to whom they owe a debt of gratitude, but God knows, and so will we. Whatever the price, I believe it will be worth it.

Here are some of the ways we can develop a godly legacy. It is never too early to start, which is why I listed each stage of life. Spiritually speaking, we may be in the childhood stage, even though we are an adult.

The Childhood Stage – Building Strong Foundations

Study God’s Word. Even children can hunger to know more of God’s Word for themselves. When our children were small, we played cassette tapes for them on which characters sang the scriptures. It worked very well to instill the Bible into their hearts.
Learn to pray and make it a part of our lives. True humility knows that it cannot do this thing called life without God’s help.
Be a worshiper and share our faith with others.
Exercise our faith. Don’t merely affirm doctrine. Trust God.
Aspire to live in true holiness and purity without becoming legalistic. Devote ourselves to God’s purposes for our lives. If we do not know what they are yet, keep seeking. We can always simply tell Jesus that we are his to direct and command.
Be accountable. Find a mentor (our natural father or a godly man) who will disciple and encourage us along the way.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal more of the Father’s love to us.
Be faithful in the small things. Serve those who are in leadership.
Be careful to stay properly related to the authority people in our lives.

The Young Man Stage – Exercising Our Spiritual Muscles

Find true freedom by believing in the finished work of Christ and by learning to walk in the Spirit.
Learn to exercise the authority we have in Christ to share the Gospel, pray for people, engage in spiritual warfare, and respond to faith challenges.
Be willing to take on new responsibilities. Let God stretch us by doing things outside our “comfort zones.” Refuse to limit ourselves by what we think we can do. Trust God to help us accomplish his will.
Continue to be a man who is under authority while learning to lead.
Be faithful in whatever we do.
Act as a protector of others.
Continue the discipleship journey and begin to disciple others.

The Fatherhood Stage – Building for the Future

Transition from primarily focusing on our own lives and goals to helping others discover and fulfill their potential.
Invest heavily in the younger generation.
Pass the leadership or ministry baton when appropriate and allow our disciples to try their wings. They may naturally defer to us, which is good, but encourage them to learn to operate as the lead person with you on the sidelines acting as cheerleader and coach. Act as friend, counselor, and supporter in our new role as Dads of adult children.
If our own children are grown and have left the nest, we can use our newfound freedom and time to expand our ministry horizons, which can also open up opportunities for those we mentor and lead.
Stay connected in accountable relationships.

Concluding Thoughts

Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)