The Legacy
I grew up in a small town in Oregon called Rogue River. It was an ordinary family, but a family that was full of faith. I would wake up every morning and head downstairs for breakfast. My Dad would be sitting at the table with his Bible open and reading the Bible. During breakfast we would discuss what he had read that morning. If the church doors were open, we would be there. I don’t ever remember a time my parents missed a service. My Dad would stop and listen to anyone, and I would often see him praying for people both in and outside of church.
My mother was one of those moms that if you lost something she would ask you to pray. I would barely get “Dear Jesus,” out of my mouth and the lost item would be found. We weren’t the perfect family, but I knew how to pray from a very early age; Jesus was my friend, and I would talk to him every day.
My aunts and uncles lived close to us, and they would get together for evening walks at least three times a week. They would talk to each other about their children and the struggles they would have and then they would begin to pray. Let me just tell you: the more they prayed, the faster they walked. I could hardly keep up. My mom would tell me that walking and talking with Jesus is like being wrapped in rainbows. I could tell you story after story of how I would watch them pray and then see these prayers answered – sometimes years later.
I never really thought much about this until recently. I’ve started thinking about the spiritual legacies that are passed down from generation to generation.
“Have you ever thought about what spiritual legacy you are leaving behind? What are you leaving with your children? ”
I want to be the type of person that is consistently displaying Godly words and actions. We only get one life to live, one legacy to leave, one chance to pass spiritual blessings to our children. I have thought about my own children and what I have instilled in them: are they the same things that were instilled in me? These are things that I have come up with.
Our hunger and desire to follow Jesus
It is true that we can’t pass on salvation to our children, but our hunger for God is contagious. Our children see us worshipping God, they see us talking about God. The more you make Him the centre of your life, the more He will become the centre of theirs. Don’t hide your prayer life; let your kids see you praying. When you have a family problem that they can be included in, pray together.
Our hunger for God’s Word
When our kids were little, my husband would read the Bible to them and stop right at the climax of the stories, and then he would say, “And then you know what happened…? I’ll tell you tomorrow!” They would beg him to tell them what would happen next. But he left them on a cliff-hanger until the next day. Another of my favourite times in our house is dinner time. We try to read a chapter of the Word of God as a family as the meal ends. This was something our girls especially looked forward to. My husband would challenge them to read the word “DRAMATICALLY” (think how over the top two drama queens could be when reading aloud The Revelation). Then they could ask questions.
Listening to God’s voice
This is something that we will have to practice, to listen with our spirits. It is great to be able to have a time during prayer when everyone speaks in tongues, and a time when everyone is quiet for a few minutes. What is God saying to you at that time? When we practice this, we can have open discussions and teach our children how to see if what is being said is consistent with God’s word.
Being able to show an obedience to God and His Word - including forgiveness
Even though it’s hard sometimes to apologize for doing something wrong to our children, doing so can help them see how to model it well. I now have no problem saying “I am sorry” to my children and asking them to forgive me when I am wrong. I remember one time we decided to go see a movie as a family. Halfway through the movie, we noticed that it was not honouring God and was pushing an agenda of witchcraft. We walked out of the movie and sat down with them. We apologized for taking them to the movie and we asked them to pray with us. Yes, right there at the movie theatre, café we asked God to forgive us for watching something that would offend Him and asked for forgiveness.
A Servant’s Heart
When we show our children an example of serving others – that we put others first, that we serve in church, that we give up our seats for someone, or just simply that we open the door for others – this helps our kids see how to serve others. One of my favourite stories is when Krista was five years old, sitting in our car, and she saw a little boy begging on the street. She wanted to help him, so I asked what she thought we should do. She decided that it would be good for us to always have snacks in the car and a note for the kids we passed on the street. Krista would open her window and talk to this boy every day. He would yell, “Klista Klista!” They would have a conversation and the light would turn red. From there, Krista also decided that she would become a teacher and have a school for kids that couldn’t afford to go to school.
Let’s start a legacy that can influence a thousand generations.
Written by Kim Lunn
Kim Lunn is married to Steve, and they currently live in Hong Kong. She is mom to 3 beautiful kids and is part of the Kingdomcity team.