The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary lists two specific definitions for the word “legacy”:
• A gift by will, especially of money or other personal property;
• Something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.
The first of the two definitions is perhaps the most common to us. We often hear people speak of wanting to leave their children a legacy or more specifically an inheritance. Normally this relates to money in the form of cash, a trust or some valuable piece of property.
Less often do we hear people speaking about leaving their children a legacy that is defined in terms of character, values or faith.
A good friend of mine recently passed away. While visiting with his daughter, the recurring theme about her dad was that he instilled value, character and an abiding faith in the lives of his children and grandchildren. What a tremendous legacy he gave to his family.
For thought: Maybe the reason money is the more popular legacy is because we can only pass on what we have. As of today, what legacy are you leaving for your own family?
Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Old Testament, is included in a list of five Old Testament books that are referred to as the Books of the Law. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy comprise this list. In Deuteronomy 6:1, Moses tells the Israelites that what he is telling them is directly from God. The instructions that follow are to shape their lives as they enter into their promised land. Furthermore, the Israelites not only are to pay attention and abide by these instructions, but they also are to teach them to their sons and grandsons (Deuteronomy 6:2).
These are foundational commands the Israelites are to live by if they want their lives and families to prosper and to experience all God has for them. God’s first, and most important, foundational building block is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. The focus is that all are to love God with all of their being. Loving God in this way would mean neither anything nor anyone would be placed before God in a person’s life.
For thought: Despite God’s instructions, many of us don’t have God in that supreme position of being the single most important entity in our lives. Some people cannot conceive of life without their spouse. In a child-centered age, others would clearly declare nothing is more important or loved than their children. A few people would place their pets in that lofty position. Who do you love with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength?
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Building a legacy upon the foundation of a total yielding, commitment and love to God is where we must all begin, but it is not a legacy until it is passed on to the next generations.
In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Moses shares God’s message that it is the responsibility of the parents to pass along God’s truth to their children. Who God is, what God has done and how God has transformed our lives are to be components of household conversation.
There is a current country song titled “She Thinks We’re Just Fishing.” The story line is based on a father taking his daughter fishing. As they fish, he teaches her about life and reminds her of the love he and her mother have for her. The tag line is “and she thinks we’re just fishing.”
God’s instructions are to be carried out as we sit in the house, when we are outside, when we go to bed and when we get up. Children may think we are just playing when, in reality, we are passing along a legacy of faith and trust in One True Living God.
Deuteronomy 6:8-9 moved from being statements symbolic of how deeply God’s word needs to be imbedded in our hearts to being a literal, physical experience.
For thought: I often wonder if bumper stickers, religious jewelry and biblical home decorations have become our legacy of faith rather than a life that believes deeply and lives out the reality of God’s word. Just wondering … not accusing.
Having built one’s life on the foundation of faith in God, and having continually shared this with the next generations, God reminds us in Deuteronomy 6:10-15 to remain consistent throughout our entire lives in being faithful to God.
The more the Israelites were blessed by God the greater their tendency was to forget who had blessed them. Perhaps they became enamored with the blessings and just ignored the giver of the blessings. That is not unlike a child at Christmas or a birthday party who rapidly unwraps presents without ever acknowledging the one who gave the gift.
One way to keep from falling into this trap is to continue worshipping God. This is more than just church attendance. It is the active role in the worship service of praising God for who he is and how he has changed one’s life. It is a fresh yielding of oneself to his direction as opposed to one’s own plan. It is falling in love again with God with all your heart, your soul and your strength.
For thought: Answer again: What kind of legacy are you passing on to your children and your grandchildren? It all has to do with the life you now are living in the Lord.
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