“What do you want your headstone to say?” “What would you want people to say about you at your funeral?”
Those have always been the questions I’ve heard people ponder when the idea of a legacy comes up. The answer is generally centered on how one led a good life, or a godly life. While, this is might be a good way to start the conversation, I would invite you to take a deeper look at this issue.
Consider with me for a second the words of Joshua 24: 14-15. We’ve the a few of the words from the passage on many walls in many homes. And they are great words to post. But, I think we often forget why they are so important.
Joshua has led the people into the Promised Land, and Land they had desired since God’s promise to Abram in Genesis 12. This was the moment they were waiting for. Joshua leads them to choose…will they follow the ways of the Land they are taking hold of, or will they continue to follow the ways of God. It was their decision to make, for the sake of their families and the nation of Israel.
This isn’t a decision many parents are willing to make for their children. They let them decide whether they want to go to church, whether they want to do this or do that. Yes, there is a point when a parent can no longer “decide” for their child. But, I think we have let society lower that age every year.
What is your family legacy going to be-that you let your children decide to follow God, or that you, as their parent jubilantly say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!”?
God’s love and mercy is not dependent on how strictly you raise your children, or how often you don’t fail and choose God above everything else in this world. He has already laid out your salvation in His Son Jesus Christ. That is what we just celebrated at Easter. But, it is now our time to tell our families, to tell our households, to tell those around us what God has done for us in Christ Jesus and to serve Him in the freedom He has now won for us.
I will boldly proclaim, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” It is my prayer that you will join us.
Here’s the new Family Connection-April 8 for this week.
The Home Connection 