Leaving a Legacy

I write this article after a long night at the hospital. Our fourth grandson was born early this morning (Monday) at around 3:30 AM. Being the sentimental sap that I am, I can’t help but to reflect a little. My wife and and I have been blessed with five sons and a daughter whom we love and cherish. Now we have seen our influence extend to a new generation of grandsons. We are truly blessed of God. But it makes me ask, “What about our spiritual children and grandchildren? Are we leaving a spiritual legacy? Are the people I have led to Christ living for Him faithfully? Are they growing and maturing and touching other lives for Christ?”

Of course there is a limit to anyone’s influence. People do, after all, have the ability to turn their backs on the Lord and they may choose a path totally opposite of what we have taught and modeled for them. But how do we increase the chances of success for those who come behind us?

The first key is to consistently live out our convictions and to be an example of the life choices we teach. Clearly, if our lives are inconsistent with our teaching we will have little influence upon those who come behind us. Hypocrisy will cancel out the best teaching. Recently we have heard of a famous sports figure who has been involved in adultery. Not only will he lose millions of dollars he once made endorsing everything from Buicks to Gatorade; he has lost the respect of millions of people. His influence has been severely diminished due to his poor lifestyle choices. For those involved in teaching ministry, the lesson is clear. We cannot leave an effective legacy for Christ through our teaching alone.

Another key is genuine love for others. As we study real love from 1 Corinthians 13, it is clear that biblical love is much more than a sentimental emotion. Real love involves demonstrating kindness and courtesy to others. Genuine love shows up in our generosity toward others and in the way we encourage the people around us. Love is the opposite of the apathetic teacher who refuses to be involved in the lives of her students. People are flawed, but love covers a multitude of sin. People are insecure and need to be valued and affirmed, and love steps up to focus on the needs of others rather than self. May God help us grow in biblical love.

Biblical teaching and training also has significant influence. Contemporary self-help teachings based on humanistic ideas and pop-psychology seem to change every three or four years, but God’s Word is eternal. When we teach the life-changing principles of the Bible to others, we are unleashing the living power of the very Word of God. That is a powerful way to influence lives. There is amazing potential in just one Bible lesson or sermon. People have literally made life-altering decisions because of one Sunday School lesson that God used to speak powerfully into their lives. Many times we teach in more informal ways through casual conversations or simply sharing an insight to a friend over a cup of coffee. As we share biblical thoughts and insights, our influence grows and our life-message leaves a legacy of truth that can be passed on to others long after God calls us home.