Every family was created for more- to be a blessing to others. Beyond your marriage, your children and meeting your needs, each family has an assignment to bless the world at large.
If all you live for, is yourself, your immediate family, then your world view is quite limited. There’s a whole world waiting to be blessed by you.
This assignment usually starts from the parents and should be passed from one generation to another. This is really what legacy is about.
There are a few examples:
- The Rockefeller family has the legacy of philanthropy and are on the 7th generation, usually it’s hard to pull off after the 3rd generation. At the age of 21, every member of family is invited to choose which of their charities they would like to engage in.
- Gary Smalley family has the legacy of family and it has been passed to the 2nd generation. They now have an institute that teaches about marriage and family.
- The Bush Family has the legacy of politics to the fourth generation. They’ve had people in different spheres of government in the US.
- Passing a legacy is intentional and not passive. We never really know how far or wide it will go but it must be identified, early and deliberately passed to the next generation.
There are a few questions we must mull over/
- What type of family do I want to build?
- What do I want generations after me to remember about me?
- What passion and burden do I share with my spouse?
- How can we impact the world with this gift?
- How can I get my children involved early so that we build together?
We are called to build families of legacy. You are not an exception.
