Impact, Tradition, and Legacy

What family customs have you begun to carry into your own household traditions? Is there a certain holiday festivity or meal you first learned from your parents that has now become your own? Do you fold your towels the same way your parents did? Are there certain sayings and phrases that you’ve realized are very specific to your upbringing? So much of who we are is a direct result of the investments of those who have gone before and behind us.

We no doubt see the impact and legacy of those within our circle of influence as we look backward. So, what are we doing about those who will proceed to follow us in the faith?

The Faithfulness that Fuels

In Deuteronomy 1:8, the Lord reminds His people of the generations from whom they’ve followed suit. He decrees to them, “See, I have set the land before you. Enter and take possession of the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their future descendants.” Today, we want to emphasize the trust, obedience, and confidence of the generations before us who have paved the way.

God used the faith and conviction of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to lead His people out of lostness and bondage and further into the promise He had in store for them. His faithful guidance and provision over each of their stories grants us a closer look into the legacy before and behind us that leads us ahead in hope. His faithfulness fuels our mission forward.

Empowered by The Promise

The choice to follow the Lord is no easy feat. It’s one we can’t possibly do without the prompting and equipping of the Spirit within us. We’ve seen how the Lord has paved the way for us to walk in step with Him towards our eternal promise: Christ Jesus before and behind us.

As we keep moving forward—empowered by His promises—we remember that we aren’t going alone in this mission; there are those who walked before us, proving that our Creator cares and carries the load with us. And this knowledge is precisely what propels us to leave the same message for those who follow after.

Won’t you invest in the work of the kingdom, that your lifestyle of faith would be the custom they catch onto?

Now What?

Consider your role in the chain of influence between those before you and those who will follow after. What legacy in the faith do you most wish to leave behind? Ask God for the boldness and strength to be the leader He has called you to be.