Proverbs 13:22 states,”A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” A person’s legacy can be anything passed on to the next generation, from wealth to reputation. A legacy is the central part of a strong family’s roots, forming connections and strengthening the family’s history. The Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Carnegie families come to mind. But a family must not be rich or famous for having beautiful legacies.
The Courts generally recognize three types of legacies. A gift of money described in a Will is a pecuniary legacy. An advantage of real property, such as a vehicle, art, or tools, is referred to as a specific legacy. The most valuable legacy is the residuary legacy which involves the gift of all or a shared portion of an estate. Unfortunately, the government will be there to claim and collect various taxes on the value of the legacy items. Legacy items are referred to as inheritance. The Courts define legacy as a gift given in a testament from a deceased person to someone left behind described in a Will.
Fortunately, there are legacies that the government cannot get its hands on. Our parents taught us how to act and how to thrive. Depending on the family, this learning experience (legacy) is one of the most important legacies that anyone will ever receive and the one we probably think of and appreciate the least. If we were fortunate enough to know them, our grandparents told us stories about the family history from first-hand knowledge. They probably taught us skills our parents preferred us not to learn. Billy Graham said, “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.” Let’s take just a moment and reflect. We can all remember a coach or teacher that said or did something that at the time meant nothing but, over the years, has become an essential part of who we are. We will never be able to thank these coaches and teachers, and they probably have no idea how they became a part of our lives, but we certainly owe them a huge thank you. If you think about it, we all participate in many people’s lives and benefit from their legacy building and what they produce. Family, teachers, coaches, people at work, and even the folks we causally associate with help to form who and what we are. We have no idea how we affect the people we encounter or change their lives. We are the result of these people’s efforts to create their legacy. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was on point when he said we need to “worry about going out there and making your legacy. We do not know what Mr. Mayweather’s intent was. Still, we can take from his statement that we should consider our effect on those around us and how our legacy will be viewed after we are gone.
Legacy is important because it is the foundation for future generations to grow. It can be argued that our society is in trouble and that the next generation will fail in many ways. For the first couple of hundred years, America was passed from one strong generation to another. The pilgrims fought many adversatives and paved the way for their children. The settlers moved west despite unimaginable dangers and conquered the wilderness. Our forefathers fought the Indians, the Mexicans, and the Spanish and participated in the First World War. Each generation prepared the next generation through their legacy to face whatever came alone. The generation that fought in World War II and Korea is the greatest generation ever. Our Fathers, Grandfathers, and Great Grandfathers built a country while building sound and strong families, leaving solid and proud legacies. These families worked hard, sacrificed a lot, and created a world for which this last generation did not have to fight. As a result, the men and women that fought in Viet Nam came home to an unappreciative, arrogant, and weak society. This society, being interested in its little world, has not built any legacy other than its selfish desires. That group has grown up, and many in our government continue their selfish and foolish attitudes. A wise man has been quoted as saying something to the effect that if each generation protects the next generation, at some point, the folks of that generation will not be capable of much. We now have a “safe room” and counseling for the snowflakes that this generation has produced. We can only imagine what their legacy will create. James 3:16 describes today’s legacy builders: “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
Many people today believe no one should care what happens to the generation. Why is it their concern? They worked hard that did their stuff, and everyone should be responsible for themselves. What would have happened if Jesus had had this attitude? Jesus tried to invest in every person that would accept his efforts. Jesus spent his short time on Earth preparing for the future of Christianity. Jesus has a legacy as a teacher, the builder of a religion, and the world’s savior. His most significant legacy is that his whole life was involved in building his estate for the betterment of others. Jesus gained nothing for himself and everything for us. His works and all His efforts were to build God’s kingdom in heaven that would last forever and show the people how to enter this kingdom; what a better legacy does not exist. Our generation must follow the lead of Jesus and try our best to build and leave a gift for the next generation to point them toward heaven. Many churches are going out of business and have problems because they are not preparing for the next generation. And this is a direct result of the selfish attitude that did not prepare the next generation. We need to start today being aware that our legacy will determine the future of our families and our country. Ben Franklin said, “Being ignorant is not so much a shame as being unwilling to learn.” And “He that won’t be counseled can’t be helped. Do not squander time, for that is what life is made of. Your time is your life. If you waste your time, you are wasting your life. I’ve never met a successful person who didn’t value their time, and I’ve never met an unsuccessful person who did.”