Leaving A Legacy – Part Two

“The memory of the righteous is blessed.”  Proverbs 10:7

In Part 1 (2 weeks ago), I addressed points 1 & 2. Let’s continue our look into #3, 4 & 5 of 9 thoughts about legacy.

1.    Everyone leaves a legacy.

2.    Everyone has been left a legacy.

3.    A legacy can be either positive or negative.

Positive legacies are the ones that are beneficial to others. My father taught me to never say something negative today that could be said tomorrow. It gives us time to cool down if we are upset and think about what we were about to say. I consider his advice as a positive legacy from him.

Negative legacies are the ones that hinder us as a person. For example, a family sin that is passed down from generation to generation would be a negative legacy. The Bible speaks of this in Exodus 20:5, which says, “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me”.

4.    The legacy you received is not as important as the legacy you leave.

We have very little or no control over the legacy we received. It is normally a byproduct of being raised and living life. A financial legacy is a result of the way your family handled it material possessions over a lifetime. Most children do not have direct control over it.

We do have some measure of control and influence over the legacy we leave. We make decisions all the time, which directly impact the legacy we will leave. In Proverbs 22:6, the Bible says to “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This verse speaks directly to leaving a positive legacy for your children.

5.    The legacy you received can influence the legacy you leave.

There can be a direct correlation between the legacy you received to the legacy you leave.  If you received a positive legacy, it would be a good thing to pass it forward. If it is a negative legacy that it would wise not to pass it forward.

Remember that any negative legacy you received doesn’t have to hold you in bondage and captivate the legacy you leave. God is in the business of bringing healing and new life into those who desire it, which means that a negative legacy can be overcome. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Old things passing away and new things coming into being mean that negative legacies can be surmounted.

Something to think about and more to come…