A Legacy
by Brandy Webb
When I think of leaving a legacy, I think of famous historical figures that made a splash on the world like a stone hitting the water leaving ripples that still affect societies long past their deaths. These people are the ones that we learn about in school. We read their histories, maybe even books written by them, and we think how awesome it would be to go back in time to meet them. In addition, some of us wish we could be like them, be it to imitate their bravery, intelligence, wit, or any other character trait that enthralls us. However, can we leave a “legacy” also? Maybe not one that is written in the secular books of the future, but one that still leaves ripples that last so long that generations after us do not even realize were made by our lives.
I believe we can. This type of legacy is not one that will make us famous by world’s standards. No, this type of legacy is one that makes Truth pass down causing God to be real and loved by those that come after us. There are two scriptures in Exodus that come to mind, one that has a negative legacy and one that has a positive legacy. I want to reiterate them with an added emphasis:
5 Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation. 6 But I show my love to thousands of generations of those who love me and obey my laws (Exodus 20:5-6 GNT).
I want you to notice how much longer the blessings, compared with punishments, run through generations. Now, I am no theologian, so I am not going to get into generational curses. However, I do believe that when someone shows a love for God and decides to follow Him, that person can end and destroy any generational curse that may have befallen his or her family. My main point is that God can bless our descendants for thousands of generations because of our love of Him. Now, to me, that is a long-lasting legacy worth creating.
I do not believe you have to have children to create a generational blessing. I know that may sound weird, but I believe that since God’s people are a family, you can create a “generation” of believers by sharing your faith and being a light to others. We may never really know how many people we have touched by just showing God’s love to them. We may never know how many generations of believers that are created after us by just inspiring one person to believe in God. This is the type of legacy I want to leave. I want to leave a legacy of faith and love that points people to God the Father and Jesus our Messiah and helps keep a remnant upon the earth forever, so that Christ, when He returns, still finds believers (Luke 18:8).
I can look at my life and see that I am a descendant of a long list of believers. My grandparents have created a legacy that was started by their parents, which was started by someone before them. It is kind of like looking at the thread of life that wove through time and led to the human birth of our Messiah.
I know that sometimes when we look around us, and we may not feel very talented, successful, or whatever else, we can take heart that as long as we are trying our best to live a life of Truth and Love, we will leave a Godly legacy behind. To be honest, I think this type of legacy is the only one that really matters.