A Man's Legacy is Powerful

The dictionary definition of the word “legacy” is the mark that an individual leaves on the world; ultimately, the story of a person’s life. My interpretation of legacy is “what will you leave when you leave”?

Lately I have been thinking a lot about legacy and what it really means as a husband, father and man of God. As I have reflected on the legacy that was left to me by my father and his father before him, I see living examples of men who were sold out to God and in hot pursuit of His plan for them. My grandfather was a traveling “brush arbor” preacher, evangelist and pastor for more than fifty years, while my dad started to preach as an 11-year-old boy, became a missionary to Africa immediately after high school and eventually pioneered and pastored a church until he went home to be with the Lord last year. 

So, here is my take on legacy:  Just like each day is comparable to a clean sheet of paper to be written on by you, so is the process of building your legacy. It is a daily “Yes” to listening, hearing and obeying the voice of the Lord. To leave a worthwhile and lasting legacy a person must have a dogged determination to build something with an eternal-minded mindset.

Basically, what do you want to be known for when your life is over, your race is run, and you leave this earth for your heavenly home. What will I leave my children? What am I building? You can run a marathon and consistently run every single mile—except the last hundred yards and it counts for nothing. We are each in a race and it needs to be finished.

 A few years ago, the word “intentional” really came into focus for me in many areas of my life. For example, in my relationships, on my job, with my ministry, but most importantly with spending time with the Lord and putting Him and His Word in my heart and building my relationship with Him. Honestly, it’s not so easy unless you intentionally prioritize. In the beginning this was especially challenging for me as I am not a morning person, but I found that early morning was the best time as the house is quiet and not bustling busy. This required major discipline on my part to wake up at 5:00AM and put God first, BUT the answers to prayers prayed and the conversations I’ve had building my relationship with God FAR OUTWEIGH any sacrifice on my part.

My daughter quoted this statement from a movie the other night as I was preparing this article:

“I run and I run and I run and I run and I get out, and I’ve gone nowhere,” said the bewildered and frustrated hamster climbing off the wheel. 

Definitely some truth here—as men we often run, and build, and accumulate wealth, success and opportunities for our families, but never actually intentionally influence them toward God. And when we get to the end, we’ve gone nowhere, and we don’t have much to show for it in our families. The scripture sums it up in the best way when it says, “What does it profit if you gain the whole world and lose your own soul”. Your soul embodies who you really are. What a sad summary to get to the end of your life and all you leave is a “will” without any eternal legacy attached to it. Now, I’m not dogging money, as it is what it takes to function in this life. But, when it becomes the all-in-all for your life to see how many toys you can accumulate and how much money you can set aside with very little thought about God’s plan for your life and leaving a legacy, then it shows exactly what kind of legacy you will leave behind.

One of the saddest moments of my life was sitting with a multi-millionaire as he wept for his grown child in prison, while yet another child he had recently paid to put through drug rehabilitation. You see, he honestly admitted to me that he had pursued all the success and wealth for his children but had not taken the time to establish the importance of a real relationship with God. It saddened my heart to hear him say that he knew that the scripture tells us as fathers to, “train up a child in the way he should go and when he/she is old they will not depart”, but that his training taught them to be entitled with very little invested in their eternal future.  After all those years when he should have been intentional with his children, now he was left with a dysfunctional family and a legacy devoid of any eternal treasures. 

The legacy within the family line can be one of blessing, or it can be one of cursing and chaos. 

God instituted the family line and He placed power in it. It’s hard for your children to outrun a Godly legacy filled with faith and integrity, but when a legacy of sin and dysfunction are left, then children and subsequent generations must purposefully break away from it. I recently heard a minister say, “Inheritance is what you leave for people and legacy is what you leave in people. Legacy never stops.

What will I leave when I leave? The answer is a legacy much more powerful than any of us think and far outlives us.

Next week: How To Build A Godly and Powerful Legacy for your Family

Joe Dillard

Joe’s message is simple: It’s not by chance you are here. You were created on purpose for one mission — you are to be a carrier of the Glory of God to the places and people God has assigned you to reach. God will never change His mind about what He has called and assigned for you to do. All He needs is your YES.

Romans 11:29  God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty - never canceled, never rescinded. (Message Bible)  

Joe and Carrie have a heart to see couples and families thrive in their relationships with each other and with their Heavenly Father.