What Is Your Legacy?

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

AMONG THE THINGS you will leave behind when you die is a marital legacy. Your example will without a doubt influence the lives of your children and others who observe it. Few things are more important than building the kind of marriage that you would be happy to have your children emulate.

When I ask older parents, “What do you wish for your adult children?” their response is often, “I want them to be happily married and to rear their children to be loving, caring citizens.” That’s a worthy goal. What are you doing to foster that goal? I want to suggest that the model of your own marriage is the greatest factor in helping your children have happy marriages.

The question is, will you leave a positive or a negative legacy? Many young adults struggle greatly because of the influence of the negative example set by their parents’ marriage. Others are blessed greatly by a positive model.

It is not too late. As long as you are alive, you have time to work on the marital legacy you will leave behind. The best thing we can do is what Paul did: follow the example of Christ. The more closely we follow Jesus and treat each other the way he calls us to, the more Christlike our legacy will be.

Lord Jesus, I know that the only way I can leave a strong legacy is by following your example. Please help me to become more and more like you in the way I treat my spouse and the way I approach our marriage. I want to leave a positive example for those around us. Thank you, Lord.

Legacy

From the book