LEGACY

LEGACY

By means of definition a legacy could be understood as money or property bequeathed to someone in a will or is something inherited from a predecessor; a heritage.

Many today make the best efforts daily to ensure a good enough livelihood for ourselves and even moreso after we have gone to the great beyond for our seed, so they can have something very good and tangible to fall back to as a form of inheritance.

This inheritance could vary in a wide range. Some are in the form of monies left behind, houses, estates, several properties, connections in high places, a good name (Prov. 20:7) and that of the most eternal value, a knowledge of GOD (3John. 1:4, Isa. 38:19). Equally of good need to be identified at this point is that as many good legacies can be left behind, bad ones too can be left behind.

I once heard the story of a man who thought a whole lot about himself up to the point that he ignored doing right to others and He kept this up not intending to consider any turn around in his behaviour as he was rich and wealthy. Now his time on this earth came to an end and as it should be life continued. He had a son who wanted to get a visa to travel abroad and at the time He would get to the embassy, at the final junction of the application process the interviewer saw his surname, quizzed him a bit to know if it was the same with his father, he being one of those that suffered from the wickedness of the young man's father, refused and rejected the young man's application.

In strong contrast is the story of a young lady who always complained to her father about how he didn't have so much money simply because he always wanted to play by the rules, but in all her complaints, the father was resilient and kept on doing good. He passed away according to the order of life and his daughter was to attend a job interview, one that on meeting the interview panel and her surname was seen and was quickly traced to her father being a good man, immediately the interview was complete because the head of the interview panel was a beneficiary of her father's good deeds and even beyond that her rise through the ranks were very accelerated.

In both cases, the fathers left behind a legacy for their children, the former a bad legacy from which the children suffered and the latter a good legacy from which the children enjoyed plenty. What type of legacy are you leaving behind for your generation coming right behind you. Perhaps you are even of the school of thought that assumes that you are not yet a parent so you live your life as you please believing that there won't be a recompense to such actions upon your children. How wrong you are.

Genesis  18:19 - "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him."

Gen. 18 tells a narrative of how GOD visited Abraham and the promise of Isaac was enacted. After Abraham entertained the angels and as they were just about to leave to complete the assignment of total annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord decided to let Abraham in on his plan towards the adulterous city because he knew that Abraham would certainly instruct his children such that they would always honour the Lord.

Abraham stood up one morning and picked up his son Isaac at the instruction of the Lord up to a mountain in Moriah to offer Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord. The Lord eventually provided a lamb and it was offered in the place of his son (Gen. 22). This act would have thought Isaac that his father would do absolutely anything for this GOD and seeing how much the Lord had blessed his father due to his obedience, a huge virtue was dropped in him such that He served the Lord all his life.

Oh, what a wonderful legacy Abraham had laid down for generations that followed. Besides having many cattle and servants to pass down as a physical/material inheritance, he also left behind a good name as he was one reckoned with throughout the land and most importantly he gave his children a Godly legacy by ensuring that they all knew the Lord.

Eli was a prophet of GOD, one who stood in the presence of GOD as an intermediary for the people, heard various reports about how his sons did plenty abominable things at the temple, defiling the women and sacrifices offered and confirmed it all to be true, he then did a wrong by not putting his sons right on time, hence passing unto them a negative/bad legacy and they were eventually killed and their lineage kicked out of priesthood.

All in all friends, the decision to either leave behind a good or bad legacy for your children lies solely in your hands and in the decisions you make today whether you are a parent yet or not, your actions and inactions do a good job of setting the field of operations for your generations yet unborn. Beyond gathering financial resources and storing up for unborn generations, teach your children and the children after them the way and love of the FATHER.

Make the best decisions today and have your children praise GOD in your life for leading them to the best gift possible - JESUS CHRIST.

GOD BLESS YOU