Your Legacy

Your Legacy

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 
                                                                                                            Proverbs 22:6
Joshua Loth Liebman wrote
“Give your children unconditional love, a love that is not dependent on report cards, clean hands, or popularity.  Give your children a sense of your whole-hearted acceptance, acceptance of their human frailties as well as their abilities and virtues.  Give your children your permission to grow up to make their own lives independent of you.  Give them a sense of truth; make them aware of themselves as citizens of a universe in which there are many obstacles as well as fulfilments.  Bestow upon your child the blessings of your faith.  These are the laws of honouring your son and your daughter.  Out of these laws will be built the Declaration of Independence for the coming generation, a spiritual and emotional independence that, in turn, will make the world free, democratic, safe, creative.”  
                                          Joshua Loth Liebman
We as Christians need to bring our children up in our faith but not force it on them. I know of many Christian families that a lot of the time without knowing it force their faith on their children.
I know of families that will not let their children watch secular television or allow them to go to the movies. Who hit their children over the head with the bible. Correcting them with scripture.
As a result I’ve seen most of these children rebel and turn away from God at the first chance they get.
These children I have found over the years are hard to reach. They attend church they know “church speak”. In other words they know what to say when they pray, they know the music, they know when its appropriate to say Amen and Hallelujah. The thing is they do not know the Lord.
My wife and I are along way from perfect and over the years we were criticized by well intentioned friends for letting our then young boys watch secular television. They were horrified when they found out my young teenagers watched the Simpsons.
Yet the Simpsons was a chance for my boys and I to talk about various things. It opened doors for me to teach biblical truths.
The only rule we had when our boys were growing up was that they must go to church with us. We also encouraged them to ask questions about everything. Nothing, and I mean nothing was off limits.
My wife and I tried to put into action the words of Francis of Assisi who said,
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
                                                                                Francis of Assisi.
We encouraged them to try thing to do things for the Lord.
We were and are not alone. By enlarge the majority of successful Christian families I know had this same philosophy.
They didn’t bash their children over the head with the Bible. They didn’t try and isolate them from the world. Quite the contrary they encouraged them to watch the news, and yes the Simpsons also.
At the same time the parents were always there for their children to answer the questions and yes, at times to pick up the pieces of mistakes made.
As a result the children grew up to know and serve the Lord.
My boys today are in their late twenties and early thirties respectively. Ever since they were in their early teens they were helping around the church.
Today one volunteers at his church that ministers to the less fortunate in our cities downtown. While my younger son a carpenter, volunteers at another campus of the same church and during the winter months when his business is slow goes on short term missions trips for four to six weeks helping orphanages and schools overseas.
I had not realized how well respected they were until just recently at my Sons wedding when people came up to us and complimented us on how appreciated and respected both were.
It proved to me truth of Proverbs 22:6
“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” 
                                                                                                            Proverbs 22:6.
Like I said my wife and I are not special. We know of a lot of parents who like us lived the Christian life in front of their children. Who admitted to them that we were along way from perfect. Who admitted they made mistakes and used it as a learning experience.
As Christians we have a great legacy to give to our children. What better legacy can we give than that of our faith and eternal life.
Billy Graham wrote,
“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”
                                                                                                Billy Graham
Think about it.