By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Children and grandchildren—We love them, treasure them, remember the special times, and laugh over their antics.
I watched my grandchildren take on unique personalities and sensed a need to leave more behind than an image of me as their Mimi, photos, the books I’d written, or the many hours of being with them. Although quality time and memory makers are critical to our legacy. I wanted to give them something tangible, lasting long after I was gone.
We have a responsibility to leave our values to those we love. We won’t always be there for our grandchildren, so the idea of leaving a spiritual legacy meant a lot to me. And it may mean a lot to you too.
My desire was linked to my life verse:
Jeremiah 20:9 NIV But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
All of us leave a legacy. If we can show strength through our challenges and give God the glory, our legacy is a spiritual one. We want to provide wisdom by showing how we learned from our mistakes and grew to become better people.
Your spiritual legacy is not like mine, but what’s important is laying the foundation for loved ones to see Jesus in us, which makes what we leave behind a sweet fragrance of our faith.
What is the one thing you want to pass on to your children and grandchildren? What paths have you taken and are not afraid to talk about? Young people today value transparency. They respect others who are not afraid to talk about their weaknesses. Many of us grew up with tremendous respect for those in prominent positions, such as a pastor, teachers, and those older than us. We revered men and women of wisdom. Our grandchildren want role models they can relate to, people who talk their language. Recording our life experiences in a creative way that makes us real will encourage them more than a list of rules.
Ever skim a stone across a pond? The ripples are like the impact of our lives on others. We have no idea how far the circle will extend. When I committed to a spiritual legacy, my faith grew in the process. Not sure why I was surprised.
Daniel Taylor in Creating a Spiritual Legacy urges us to think about the following:
- What have I done in and with my life?
- What have I learned?
- What do I value?
- What is most important in life and how has my answer to that changed over time?
- When have I been happiest or felt my life had the most meaning?
- What have I learned the hard way that I want someone else to learn more easil?
- What can I pass on to others that will make their lives better or easier or deeper?
- What stories capture all this?
We are complex creatures with various:
- Values
- Beliefs
- Insights
- Passions
- Actions
- Life experiences
If you believe you’re not equipped to do this. Remember God won’t set us up to fail at a task that is in His will. We have to be willing to trust Him. When God says He’ll do something. He acts.
Next week, we will dive deeper into what it means to create a spiritual legacy for our children and grandchildren.
Are you ready to take the above guidelines and start to work on your legacy?
