“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.” Psalm 78:4 ESV
Have you ever given much thought to your spiritual legacy? Psychologist Erik Erikson noted that as people grow older, they are either generative or stagnant. They work towards leaving a meaningful legacy for those who come after them, or they fail to work towards much of anything at all.
The choices you make now about how you point your kids towards God will impact their spiritual choices in the future. But your legacy will possibly continue long after you are gone. Those choices you made that influenced the spiritual choices your kids make, will in turn impact the spiritual decisions of their own children.
Legacies can change over time, but starting your family with a legacy of strong spiritual foundations gives future generations of your family a better possible beginning. How can you help your kids develop those strong spiritual foundations and grow to their godly potential?
Erikson found that in late adulthood, people reflect on their lives. Those who had worked towards leaving a meaningful legacy – contributing something positive to the world – spent their later years with a sense of integrity and wisdom. Those who had neglected to make the world a better place were usually filled with regret and despair.
Remember the 12 spies in Numbers 13? When giving their recommendation, Joshua and Caleb’s faith in God became part of their spiritual legacy not only to their children, but to all of the Israelites. Thousands of years later, we still learn from the spiritual legacy they left of their words and their faith in God. The spiritual legacy of the other ten spies is at best a cautionary tale of what happens when our faith in God is weak.
What will your spiritual legacy be? Helping others – especially your children – grow spiritually is the best legacy any of us can leave behind. What can you do now to begin creating that legacy? Don’t wait. Your legacy is based on the choices you make each day – make ones that really matter.