Now, my big ten pound dictionary defines the word LEGACY as follows: Anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor. Notice that it does not make any reference whether that which is past is good, bad or indifferent. But, the Bible teaches us considerably more when it comes to leaving a legacy.
Take Abraham, for instance, and think of the great legacy of faith and obedience that he left for his son, Isaac. Abraham had taken Isaac to the summit on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah and there, in an act of faith and obedience, was prepared to sacrifice his only son. Genesis 25, verse 5 says, “Abraham gave all he had to Isaac.” Everything material, but more important, all that he believed, the faith that he lived, the obedience that defined his life, he passed all that on to his beloved son, Isaac.
Or what about David, the great warrior king …the man after God’s on heart. What a great kingdom he left for Solomon; no wars to fight, rather a reign of peace and prosperity …and a burning desire to lead his people with great wisdom as they labored together to build the temple of God.
And the examples are countless throughout the Bible ….legacy after legacy; some great, some good, some not so good. Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our good works will become our legacy….for what we do is who we become in Christ Jesus. He has redeemed us to do good works and to leave behind a legacy …GOOD OR BAD, YOUR LEGACY IS YOUR FINAL STATEMENT OF YOUR LIFE ON THIS EARTH.
Does your legacy point others to the Father? Do they see your good works and glorify the Lord? Do they emulate the life you lived or do they fall away and take the path that leads to destruction? A man’s legacy begins in his heart…..therefore; a man must guard his heart and mind in this perverse and evil world. For what he thinks soon becomes his words and his spoken words become his habits. Before he can realize the path he has chosen, his habits reveal his true and visible character and in the blink of an eye, his character has become his legacy…..and HIS LEGACY IS ETERNAL. Galatians 6:7 says it best, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that he will also reap.”
How’s your legacy shaping up? Better guard your heart, chose your words carefully and practice what you preach…after all, God’s watching and so is everyone else!
Leaving a legacy of love,
WPQ
Poem for the day....
Living in this treacherous world
Requires of every man....
To scrutinize the way he lives
And to do the best he can.
For in each and every step he takes
A watching eye will see;
If he is living as he says he must
As he lives out his legacy...
So don't give into worldly lust
Or pride...or hate...or greed.
For one who lives for Jesus Christ
Has all that he will need...
To give his all in a live well lived
Where our Father receives the glory...
Will tell the world that we left behind
Our Legacy is His Story!!!WPQ @ July 2018
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