MEMORY VERSE: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” – Proverbs 13:22 BIBLE PASSAGE: Jeremiah 35:2-11KJV
2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. 3 Than I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; 4 And I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door: 5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. 6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever: 7 Neither shall ye build a house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers. 8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters; 9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: 10 But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us. 11 But it came to pass, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians: so we dwell at Jerusalem.
A legacy is defined as what we leave behind, to family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, and communities. This includes material possessions, our history, belief systems, and values (if adopted), business practices, name, reputation, and teaching (if useful). It could also be defined as money or property bequeathed to another by will or something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past. Legacies are rare and special gifts, from one person to another, from one generation to the next.
As Christians, we should seek to leave a lasting legacy of godliness for those who come behind us. The fact is, most of what we do will not last; things we cherish will ultimately perish with the using” (Colossians 2:22). Unless we think seriously about the kind of legacy we are developing, it is likely we will leave nothing worth inheriting.
LESSON OUTLINE:
HOW TO LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY
BENEFITS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A GODLY LEGACY
1. HOW TO LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY
Passing on to the next generations a legacy with eternal value is far more important than a temporal inheritance of money and property. The single most important legacy you can leave to the next generation is serving the Lord and thereby affecting their generation and thereafter. And the quality of your life in Christ will be one of the major influences upon them. Believers can leave legacies of life skills and faith examples to their children (Proverbs 1:8,9). Christian leaders can also leave positive legacies in the lives of others. You can leave an enduring legacy in many ways:
Set up examples of character traits your children should develop. Be consistent with rules and consequences. 1 Timothy 4:12.
Make sure your own choices reflect the teaching of Jesus and the legacy you hope to create. Job 36:10.
Building your life and those whom you influence upon the eternal word or God. Proverbs 30:3-5.
Encourage and inspire them. Hebrews 10:24-25.
Freely give and receive grace and forgiveness. Colossians 3:13.
The following are some of the benefits of leaving a lasting legacy
It impacts the next generation.
Great visions and passion not to die off. 3 A way of providing for the next generation.
Developing next generation of leaders.
Having a legacy will make you a better leader. It will exert a positive impact on the way you plan and lead and how you communicate and the values you hold.
The characteristics of a godly legacy include:
A positive legacy must be developed. It does not just happen.
Must be worth inheriting.
Legacy is not about celebrating your life or achievements, but maximising the influence you can have in the lives of others so that you know your work for God is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58.
Legacy is not about titles or positions (these do not “make” the leader), but credibility, influence, positive role modelling, passion and integrity.
Legacy is about others “buying into” our beliefs and values and following them when we are not around because what we leave behind has true worth.
Pass on the best of yourself to those you lead. Set an example.
CONCLUSION: Many leaders assume legacy is something they need to think about later in life. Others do not leave a legacy at all ((those who follow are left to pick up the pieces), or their work and vision quickly dissipate and they are quickly forgotten. Good legacy building starts now. Make your life count. Do it now.
QUESTIONS:
How can believers leave a lasting legacy for generations after them?
Action Point PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on an individual and corporate level, I will be very glad to do that because I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained include the staff of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, and New Horizons Nigeria among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.
I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
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