Eternal Legacy

We tell our kids that what feels good isn’t always what is good for you.  That in fact sometimes it is those very things that can cause us harm.   We discipline them to show them right from wrong and the reality of consequences because we love them and we want them to grow up to be strong, wise, and good.   We understand that life is not easy and that it takes work to live a healthy productive life.   And yet...when it comes to our faith, so often we choose the easy path.   The one that doesn’t push us to far outside of our comfort zone.   Or make us look bad in front of our friends or our boss.   The one that keeps us in our safe bubble of security in salvation without any cost.    We seek out that sermon that makes us feel good.  Or avoid that church because the pastor is too challenging.   Or maybe stop participating in the Bible study because it’s too hard to get homework done and kids to bed and make time for the word.  So often it’s those subtle moment to moment decisions that slowly eek away at our purpose, our focus.  They pull us down to this world, and keep our focus horizontal, rather than vertical.  It’s not even that those things are bad.   Working, sports, church events...But the question becomes, what is the legacy that we want to leave for our kids?    When we are gone, what do we want them to remember? To emulate? Do we want them to remember that we lived a long healthy life with money, possessions, travels, lots of friends?   That we worked hard, aimed for earthly happiness?   Or do we want them to have the legacy of a family that lived with honor, integrity and truth regardless of the circumstances, or the consequences.  That we gave generously, prayed fiercely, obeyed relentlessly, and followed courageously the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives.      In John chapter 9 there is the story of a blind man who Is healed by Jesus.  The Pharisees were not sure what to think of this man Jesus, and were trying to find out what had happened and if it was indeed a miracle or trickery.   They called for the blind man and inquired about the healing.   He claims in verse 17 that “Jesus is a prophet”.   Still unsatisfied that this event was a miracle they called for his parents.    In verse 19 we see that they ask his parents “Is this the one you say was born blind?  How is it that now he can see?”   We read on in Verses 20-25

 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind.  But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know.  Ask him.  He is of age; he will speak for himself” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.   That is why his parents said “He is of age, ask him”.  A second time they summoned the man who had been blind.  “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said.  “We know this man is a sinner.”  He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not I don’t know.  One thing I do know.  I was blind and now I see!”   

As I read this passage I was amazed at a few things.   First of all, this man has just received site after being blind all his life but his parents were so afraid of the Jewish leaders that they threw him completely under the bus the minute they were brought into the picture.  Their fear drives their actions and forces their son to defend himself alone.   And rather than allowing him the joy of being healed, he is forced to be questioned while his parents deny him their support.     He boldly states his thoughts but all that gets him is ridicule and eventually we read in verse 34 that they throw him out of the synagogue.   Now we know that as followers of Christ there will be times of ridicule and persecution...but I can’t help but wonder what would have happened If his parents had had his back.  Or even more, had gone before him and taken the brunt of the questioning and ridicule.     Our kids have and will face challenges and difficulties probably even beyond anything we have ever or will ever face.   The world is growing more and more against the things of the Kingdom of God and increasingly falling into darkness.   If we do not take a stand now to be parents who fight for our kids.  Stand up for them, and choose to leave a legacy of faith, then they will be left to defend themselves.   They will be left to answer for their faith against a world that wants to find any reason to throw a stone.   It is time to get out of our comfort zone and take a stand against the enemy for our children.   Let's create a legacy of more then earthly value.   An eternal legacy.  Something they can stand upon, to build their own foundation.  To go before them and show them the way.   

Yakin

It may be hard to tell from this picture but these sandals belong to my husband and my 11-year-old stepson.    The larger ones of course being my husbands.   When I noticed these two pairs of shoes next to each other the other day, unlike all the other times I had noticed them there by the door, it really struck me the similarities between them.   My stepson is in more ways then one, a mini version of my husband.   Similar features, similar build, even a similar personality.   Not that you wouldn’t expect some similarities of course to the parents with any child, but the older he gets the more I begin to see it unfold.  The more he begins to look, and act like his dad.  And it got me thinking…Do I look my Father?  Not my earthly Father but my heavenly Father.   Would someone who didn’t know anything about me see the resemblance or would they have no idea whose daughter I was?

 Do I desire to imitate Christ the way a child often desires to be like their parents?  

We have the DNA of our parents in our physical bodies, but, I believe when we are born again in Christ we receive “Heavenly DNA” through the Holy Spirit, enabling us through His power to begin to look and act more like Christ.   To live a life for God rather than ourselves.   We are called, as the Bible says, to be "transformed by the renewing of our minds", to desire the things of heaven rather than the things of this world.   And yet so often we still choose earthly things.   We still strive to make this life better and live for the moment rather than investing in the eternal.   It is easy to do...after all, we have to work, eat, raise kids, go to soccer practices, help with homework, pay bills.    But the enemy knows that if He can’t stop us from following Christ, he can distract us from becoming effective tools for the expansion of the kingdom, with the ideas of success and happiness. He can convince us that we know what is best for our lives, and have everything figured out.   That we don’t need the Lord because we can handle anything that comes our way.

I was studying the word a few days ago and came across a verse I have read 100 times, and as is often the case with the Word, this time, time 101, the Spirit moved as I read, revealing a whole new expanse of truth from the words.    The verse is Proverbs 16:9 and it says

“In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines His steps”.  Some translations use the word, directs, or establishes instead of determines, but the root Hebrew word here is the same.  It is the word YaKin, and it means to “Direct ones’ face towards, in Spirit”

I love that the meaning of the word is not, “direct ones’ feet toward” as though to imply simply the act of physical movement, it also doesn’t mean “direct ones’ thoughts” as though to insinuate ideas with no action.   But instead it says “direct ones’ face.

immediately as I read this I say in my mind I saw a child, wandering around as though looking for something but unsure of where to find it, starting to fill with panic and frustration, becoming more and more frantic and desperate, and just then, in a calm and loving manner, a father comes up to the child, gently grabs their face with both hands, tilts it upward to meet his gaze and says, it’s ok my child, just look at me.

Where we are looking, what we are focusing on....that is where we place our energy and attention.   

 And the Lord, in His abundant grace and understanding of our frail nature, knows this.    He offers us this hope.  We are not left to our own devices, to figure out how to navigate this life.   We are not left to fight our battles alone.   We are not left to parent alone, or to work and strive with little more then a paycheck to show for it.   We have a heavenly Father, who wants to be our strength.  Who wants to pour into His children every good thing.  To meet needs, to bring hope, provision, and covering.   And to help us become more like Him, to look more like our Father.

He is there to meet us with grace and turn our rubble and ruin into rubies and roses.      We simply need to let Him direct our faces, meet the eyes of the Creator and King, and refocus our gaze on Him.