When you consider your legacy, what comes to mind? Many people today focus on collecting material possessions or stockpiling money to pass on to heirs. Although one meaning of the word legacy deals with money or property left to someone in a will, another definition is anything handed down from an ancestor.
In my role as a Christian woman, I desire to hand down a godly legacy. We see encouragement from God’s Word to pass along this heritage in the Old Testament when God instructs the Israelites to surround their children with the teaching and commands of God. Christian women obtain direct instructions from Titus Two.
We all leave a legacy by the way we live. As Christian women, we need to be intentional about passing on a godly legacy, not only to our children, but to other women around us that we have influence over. We can’t assume they will just know we want them to experience the salvation available through Christ or that we would have them live a God-honoring life.
We have a real enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy. Satan doesn’t want to destroy you physically. He wants to kill your faith, steal your testimony, and destroy your future. He is intentional about his ploys to pull you and those you love away from God. Should we not be as intentional about assuring our loved ones know Christ’s salvation and living the Christian life?
Here are a few ways to encourage a godly legacy:
- Discuss salvation. Don’t guess if your friends and family know Christ. Ask them. Talk with them about it.
- Encourage church attendance. Everything else has become more important than meeting with fellow Christians. We hear the cop-out answer: “I don’t have to be in church to worship. I can do that anywhere.” True, you can and should worship everywhere. However, God established the church for Christians to gather together. We gain strength and encouragement to live in a Godless world.
- Urge studying God’s Word and applying it. We cannot live without feeding and nourishing our bodies. But, we will allow our spirits to starve for God’s Word because we do not regularly ingest it.
- Model it. The hardest of all is to be an example. Are you acting enough like Christ that you could tell others if they copy you, they will be like Christ? The best way to leave a godly legacy is to model a Christ-like life for others to follow. Actions truly do speak louder than words.
My precious sisters in Christ, we must put this in perspective. We are speaking of eternities – the eternities of our family and friends. Isn’t that important enough to become more intentional about the legacy we pass on?
In a world that squelches God and strives to deceive our children, we must make God and His ways a priority and show His relevance for generations to come.
About Paula
Paula Mowery is a pastor’s wife, award winning author, acquisitions editor, and speaker. Please visit her blog at www.paulamowery.blogspot.com to see what God is teaching her right now. You can also connect with her through her author page on Facebook.
