What Legacy Are You Leaving?

Our decisions, our training & discipleship, our passion, our purpose-fullness or lack there of, our work ethic, our political beliefs, our personal philosophies, our discipline or lack there of, our selfishness and sin, our mistakes, our conflict strategies (anger & intimidation/manipulation/interrogation/aloof judgement), our expectations, our lifestyle, our priorities, our "realness" or facade, our faith or lack there of; all these things and so much more play a part in the legacy we leave in our children.

As parents, we are imprinting what "parenting and marriage"look like in our childrens' subconscience and conscience minds.  We are their example (or role model) for how a parent is supposed "parent"and how an adult Christian is supposed "worship or pray or obey" Christ. We are their example of how to treat others with love & respect. How to practice Patience, Integrity, and Self-Control. We teach them frugality or frivaliousness.  We teach them to be concerned about the heart or to be consumed with outward appearances. We teach them how to treat friends and how to be "real."  We teach them to LEAD or Conform and Follow. Our marriage and how we treat our spouse models to our children so many different things.  It models what we beleive about Biblical Manhood & Womanhood, it models real life examples of how marriages interact and treat one another, we model how to resolve conflict, how to work as a team.  We model the good, the bad and the ugly of every area of life... dont' we.  We have an incredibly important duty & privilege.  To "help" mold the future generations, you hear this all the time.  Teachers motto is teaching the "next generation."  Parents, you still have the most influence.  You were chosen to be the parent.  Not the teacher, youth pastor, or coach.  You were given this precious gift in your child. 

  How serious are you going to take your responsibility? 

Feeling the pressure yet?  Isn't it HEAVY!  Fortunately, for us all, there is a God who is full of grace & more sufficient than necessary for redeeming our children, even with all of our mistakes and sins.  Jesus is full of Grace for us and the mistakes we make, but he can redeem them and use even our sins to bring forth fruit.  As we humbly come to Jesus, aware of our mistakes and repent.  And as we take our relationships with our children seriously enough to be humble and apologize, teaching them about the sin of even our hearts.  We are teaching them self-control, kindness, humility, forgiveness, and grace.  

Come Back again soon as I will be posting more ideas on the Leaving a Legacy.