In the past I always spoke to my clients about leaving a “legacy”. But only in 2022 did I truly understand what a legacy/empire truly should be. Now when I speak to my clients and friends, I have a brand-new approach as it relates to this topic. If I asked 100 people what it means to leave a legacy for their family, I would easily get 1,000 different answers. Let me tell you what the legacy that I now intend to leave for my family is.
A Lasting Legacy
In the past, the lasting legacy that I discussed focused mostly on financial leave behind with just a bit of culture discussion. God has shown me a better way! Here is what I desire to leave for my family:
Kingdom Focused
A Kingdom Focused lasting legacy is the first and foremost thing that I desire to leave behind. It took me until 46 years old to figure this out but the first and most important part of leaving a legacy is the one I used to think about last. Teaching my children that God must come first (Matthew 6:33) is the first priority in a leaving legacy for me now. With my oldest daughter I’ve been working on teaching her that if she plans to date as a 16 year old that my desire (and God’s too) is for her to find a man of God. A man that knows and serves God is essential because if he can show that he can love God first and properly, he will be able to properly love her unconditionally even if his needs are not met to his standard. Not just for the better but also for the worst. For my Younger 2 girls known and “the babies (11 and 9)”, before they are teenagers like their sister, I will model what I have learned about how a godly man should treat a woman. That is something that did not come naturally to me, but I will lead them by showing them that in hopes that they choose a godly man to be theirs, as they grow older. If they can find that godly man, when the time is right, they will not struggle the way that I did in life. I will teach them to continue to tell others about Jesus, even at their young age. I will help them to understand that God has a purpose in their life and I will continue to share the gospel and the Bible with them. They are so far ahead of where I was at their age already, and I am excited for what God can do with that. For all my kids, I desire to teach them what God taught me, that He fills ALL NEEDS in our life in hopes that they will never need to have illegitimate relationships or addictions to try and fill the holes or loss or loneliness in their life. If I can help them understand just this, it will save them so much heart ache! For my son who already has such a heart for Jesus, I will do everything in my power to make sure that he continues to be a godly boy as he turns into a godly man and eventually he can be a godly husband so that he does not follow in my footsteps making the mistakes that I did in my life. I will show him the gift that women are in life and if he chooses one of noble character (Proverbs 31) to compliment his kingdom purpose as a man, miracles will happen. The number one priority in my life, and thing that I want my children to remember about me is that we put God first and everything that we do. Finances, friendship, relationships, family, fun, sorrow, and sadness. Everything. Now that’s a legacy I want to leave behind!
Family Traditions
Family Traditions is another part of the legacy that I want to leave behind and I believe it is also more important than most things in life. Everyone can think back to something that they did as a family and that they wanted to carry into their own family. Some of the best family traditions that I have, and want to pass on to my children is the gift of entertaining. As their daddy, I acknowledge that there may not be anybody who loves to entertain and cook for other people more than I do. I learned that from my mom and I carried that into my life. Before I knew God, it was the only thing that made me feel normal. I want my children to continue that tradition of entertaining with houses full of people communicating, laughing, and loving. Another tradition I want them to love and remember is our love for water. Being on, or in the water or on a boat. It is truly my happy place and I can’t get enough of it especially when I am feeling low. I hope that they find the same love and joy of being on the water, especially the Gulf of Mexico and then they can pass that down to their children. I also want my children to remember the way that we prayed every single night at bedtime. We prayed kingdom prayers that helped God move in our life. We pray in the car for our day and specific (not superficial) needs and for others that persecute us but also those that we love. Praying like that so far has made an amazing change in all of us and I can’t imagine how much more that change will be over the next decades. Lastly, I want my children to have a love for baking and serving those around them. Each time we moved into a new house in Florida during our painful transition over the past couple years, my children baked cookies and delivered them to the neighbors so that they would know who we were. The heart of my children are so amazing and I pray that they pass that down to their children, so that they can witness what I got to witness as their proud father! Lastly, I want my children to learn and see a family tradition of forgiveness and reconciliation. This is something that my family never had and because of that, I desire it all the more for my children. God commands this for us (Matthew 6:14–15) and as with so many other things, I choose to want and to choose God’s will!
Financial and Business
Financial and Business legacy is next in line. This was the part that I used to be well-versed with, and preach more than any other. While I have it very low on the totem pole here, it still plays a major role. In fact, I can’t think of too many things better than leaving a successful business that has a culture and a love for our creator, as well as an inheritance for my children. As parents, I think we always desire to have our children have a better life than us. With the success God has been blessing me with lately in my business reminds me that I have this opportunity in front of me right now as I speak. I never had that growing up. I want my business to honor God by giving back to the communities through nonprofits that benefit the community and honor the Lord. I want to operate with integrity and have it more valued than profitability. I want the business to run smoothly and have a good work life balance for the managers, owners, and leaders. I want the business to have a great retirement plan for those involved, so that they can pass that on to their generations. I desire a business and a personal life that tithes 10% of my income in both places to Christian non profits of our choice. God says to test Him in this so that he can prove how much blessing He gives when you tithe (Malachi 3:8-11). And lastly, I want an inheritance for my children that they will not fight over, but that they will have enough to bless their lives after I am gone. I believe all of these are possible with God, and in conjunction with the other things listed above are exactly what God wants for all of us!
Summary
As a summary, I, like most parents want more for their children than we had. One of those things that I desire most for them is a heart and a “ministry” of reconciliation. This is something that the vast majority of us never get to experience in life. God says many are called but few are chosen. I believe that He has chosen my family to be some of the few to live like this in Legacy for Christ!
“The Ministry of Reconciliation”- Corinthians 5:11-21
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience……… 13 If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God and each other. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
