Legacy and Inheritance
Sometimes I try to imagine what kind of father was Joseph to Jesus.
He must have been an amazing God fearing man to have the privilege to raise Jesus.
He would teach Jesus the techniques of a carpenter. The precision it takes to measure and cut. The ability to look past the ugliness, uselessness of dead, dry wood then make something of it. To take this useless meaningless wood and make beauty from it. To once again make it useful.
Joseph went beyond showing Jesus the ways of carpenters. Joseph would sit and teach his Son the Torah! He would help Jesus memorize the Word of His Father. He would take Him to Worship the Father in the Temple.
Joseph would serve His Father in Heaven by serving His Son on earth!
There is such an importance for fathers in the home. We as men have been given the privilege and honor by God to be the leaders of our households. We have been given the call to love God above all things . We have been given the order by God to love our wives as Jesus Christ loves the Church. Then we have this command, as Proverbs 22:6 says
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
Some men have excelled at being the best dads. They wear it with honor that they have seen their sons and daughters grow into mighty men and women. Strong and firm in their beliefs of the Word of God.
Some are still working on being great dads. It may be a little more difficult to steer them in the right direction.
Some unfortunately have not accepted the responsibility of raising their children in the ways of the Lord.
There is something I have thought about for many years. It is truly something I try to live and instill into my sons, who are now men!
What type of legacy are you leaving your children?
What sort of Inheritance are you handing down to them?
What will you leave your children when you die?
Some may get money. Some houses and cars. Maybe a family heirloom. Others are less fortunate and maybe all they end up with is the memories. But even those can have more value than all the others combined.
Even more than these worldly possessions are you leaving them the Word of God in the Hearts? Are you training them to love and fear the Lord? Are you living and loving as the Lord Jesus loved and lived? Can your children see the power of Salvation, Redemption and Restoration in your life!
What type of inheritance are you leaving your children!
An inheritance is not usually handed down until there is a death. When it comes to Jesus we have to start now!
If you read through the Bible, we can see that God has a plan. A plan that His Goodness, Righteousness, love, peace and mercy would continue on until the end of time. One of the Bible’s themes is inheritance and legacy.
The definition of inheritance is this,
something that is given by a previous possessor. Something that is given not acquired.
Another definition is;
To take by succession as the representative of the former possessor.
If none of the Apostles had taken the life, death and Resurrection of Jesus seriously, where would we be?
If they hadn’t gone to spread the Gospel there would be no Church. There would be no Christ. There would be no Salvation. And all of us would be condemned to an Eternity of separation from The Father.
Praise the Lord they took this very seriously. They left behind the blueprint of what we all need to do to be saved. How to live. How to love. How to share and continue and show and teach the next!
As Spiritual Fathers they left all of us the inheritance of Jesus Christ!
We all should have an inheritance that we leave behind. We should all have something of value to leave for the next generation.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,
Proverbs 13:22 NKJV
Are we good men to see the importance of the Kingdom of God?
Joseph could have easily denied and neglected the honor the Father had given him. But Joseph chose to honor the Father by serving the Son!
When we can change our mindset as fathers to this, I can only imagine how different this world would be.
Honoring our Father in Heaven by serving our own children!
Not just for your children but your grandchildren. Then the next! Then the next! The impact as fathers we have now will last for generations to come!
But what legacy and inheritance are you leaving behind!
As men of God we have to, at some point, stop thinking of ourselves! We have to take the responsibility and privilege to raise the next generation to follow the path of the Lord!
What you do in this life, how you live and what you practice will go on for generations. This is a very big responsibility to take on.
Think to yourself. What type of legacy or Inheritance am I leaving behind. What have you spent most of your time doing? What is your favorite hobby?
We will almost always teach our kids the things we are interested in so they will be interested in them too. What you teach your children will have an impact for generations.
It’s one thing to help them be successful in the things of this world.
What are you doing to prepare them for the next? What have you instilled in them that will have them continue to walk in the ways of the Lord? Are you showing them to walk in faith? Do they know the Inheritance they have received by the Precious shed Blood of Jesus.
Where is your priority for the souls of your children? Or have you even thought about that?
Are we leading our children into the inheritance of the Lord?
The inheritance of Eternal Life in the presence of the One and only Eternal God!
You see there are Spiritual Inheritances we should be leading our children to. As a father this will be one of the most important jobs that you will ever have the privilege of doing.
Teach your children to seek the Kingdom of God first above all things.
Teach them to pray. Teach them to trust in the Lord.
Teach them they are beautiful and wonderfully made. Teach them they are the Apple of the Fathers eyes. Then show them how to walk alongside their God. Show them how to love, show grace and have mercy.
Guide not only their hands but their hearts to the hand and heart of their Savior!
Leave your children an inheritance and a legacy that will not die out. One that does not rot or fade!
Leave them the Key to the Highway that leads them to Christ!
Then have the confidence that as you take your last breath that you have done what the Lord called you to do,
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
I believe that Joseph knew exactly what his purpose was as Jesus’ earthly father.
Because Joseph honored the Father by serving the Son we have all had the inheritance and the legacy handed down to us!
If you have not started yet, start now!
Pastor Ed