Legacy Part III–Faithful And Generous!

June 13, 2024

Legacy Part III—Faithful And Generous!

This post is the third in which I focus upon a few things I would like to leave behind in the lives of other people. 

The card was stuck in a stack of over 100 cards filled with words of gratitude, encouragement, and a future filled with adventure.  The cards were given to me at the time of my retirement a couple of years ago.

Recently, I read through all those cards again.  The experience was one filled with affirmation, celebration, and inspiration.  One of the cards unexpectedly captured my attention.  In that card, a friend had written the following words;

“Your legacy is the kind of people you leave behind.”

Since reading those words again, I have taken time on several different days to reflect on the kind of people I am leaving behind; i.e., my legacy.  I pray the people I leave behind will be strong and courageous as well as humble and kind. 

I also pray the people I leave behind will be faithful and generous.  When the Apostle Paul writes to the churches in Galatia, he describes the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of those who love Jesus with all of their heart, mind, and soul. 

It is interesting that both faithfulness and generosity are included in Paul’s list.  In Galatians 5:22 Paul writes; “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness…”

In a world that is so often focused on what a person can get rather than what a person can give, living a generous and faithful life seems less and less valued.  I hope my life (and your life!) can help more people strive to be more and more like Jesus in these two ways; i.e., faithful and generous! 

“I want to leave a legacy of people who are faithful and generous.”

I pray that because I lived there will be more people who will always be generous in their interactions with other people and always be nurturing a deeper faith in their relationship with our Savior, Jesus. 

Jesus wants us to be like Him by being faithful and generous.  The Bible reminds us that Jesus was faithful to His Heavenly Father and Jesus is faithful to you and me.  In Lamentations 3:22-23 we hear; “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your (God’s) faithfulness.” 

The Lord is faithful; Jesus is willing to trust you and me to live a God-honoring life and to love with a Christ-like love.  In other words, Jesus calls us to live a faithful life.  In Psalm 26:3 we hear; “For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.”  The Psalmist reminds us that when we keep our eyes on the faithfulness and love of Jesus we are able to live a life of faithfulness. 

In Psalm 119:30 we are reminded again; “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your ordinances before me.”  As he was leading the Israelite people into the Promised Land, Joshua chose the way of faithfulness by placing his faith in the Lord God. 

But, Joshua does more.  When the people are faltering in their faith in the Lord God, Joshua calls them back to living a faithful life.  In Joshua 24:14 he says; “Now, therefore, revere the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the Lord.” 

We worship the Lord, we serve the Lord, and we love the Lord with a heart and life that is defined by sincerity and faith.  I pray my life will leave a legacy of people who love and trust the Lord with all their heart, mind, and soul.

“Your legacy is the kind of people you leave behind.”

I also pray my legacy will include people who are generous.  Here are a few Bible verses that remind us that Jesus loves those who possess and are growing a generous heart.

“The wicked borrow and do not pay back, but the righteous are generous and keep giving…”  (Psalm 37:21)

“Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.”  (Proverbs 22:9)

“They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share…”  (I Timothy 6:18)

The Bible is clear; those who are right with the Lord will be generous in their relationship with Jesus and in their relationships with other people.  They are always prepared to be generous, always willing to be generous, and always quick to be generous. 

When we are generous, God pours out blessing upon blessing on both the giver and the one(s) who receives the gift.  In a conversation about tithing (giving 10% of our income), the Lord God calls Malachi to trust the Lord’s promise of blessing on those who are generous. 

In Malachi 3:10 the Lord says; “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.”

I pray I will leave a legacy in which people are enriched with the overflowing blessings of the Lord God because they have chosen to be both faithful and generous.  That choice would be life changing and world transforming!

“Your legacy is the kind of people you leave behind.”

A lasting legacy is one in which the people we leave behind are faithful and generous.  They will be a counter-cultural people who refuse to compromise their relationship with Jesus or to become focused only on themselves. 

They will be faithful to the Lord and they will be generous with other people.  When that happens they will see delight grow in their life and in the lives of other people.

Take Delight In The Lord!

Doug