legacy

I’ve talked before about how the last year has taught me to live life now.  I was reading a book on youth ministry and an excerpt in it again made me realize the impact our lives can have.  I don’t want to sound as though we should feel self important, because we shouldn’t.  What we have has been given is a gift and we should be good stewards of those gifts.  “For whom much is given, much is required”.  A lot of people think of this in terms of monetary value but I think it’s much more than that.

“. . . genealogies are in the Bible for a reason. There are dozens of names and ”begats’ in scriptures but have you ever stopped and considered why?  We find it hard to read a genealogy because it covers pages of names we don’t know . . . and because it’s not our family. However, Jesus probably saw the list in Luke 3 differently than we do.  He knew the story of Tamar’s struggles.  He could tell you about Rahab’s struggles.  He was very familiar with David’s faith.  He understood the godly legacy left to Him by these heroes of the faith.        . . . [Hebrews] knew that  their family and faith affected more than mom, dad, brother and sister.  More than here and now, faith affects generations.”

Deuteronomy talks very plainly about parents discipling their children and being living examples of their faith.  As I said at my mom’s funeral, she did that.  She lived her life in a way that glorified God constantly.  What a blessing for her children.  I don’t think I understood how blessed I was until I was talking to a friend about her childhood.  It was before my mom died but while she was sick and she said that I was so lucky because I grew up with Christian parents and a LEGACY of faith.  It was hard for her to imagine this long line of Christian men and women that I am able to call my relatives.   A grandfather, who I never knew, taught Sunday School in the same youth department that I now teach in.  I still don’t think I fully get it.  I do understand that to “whom is given, much is required”.  For some reason, God blessed me with a family legacy of Godly men and women — much is definitely required.  I hope that I don’t waste a day by not glorifying God in all I do.