With Easter being only a few days away from us I have been mulling the above question over in my head. By nature I am in an inquisitive person and have a tendency to consider things that others might consider awkward. Jesus knew He wouldn’t be with His disciples much longer and even informs them of such. I have always wondered if He felt an urgency to pour as much into them as He could in those final days. What was truly the extent of his ‘God-ness’ while on this earth? Did know the exact day and/or time He would be taken from them? We know from reading the word He was human just like you. Knowing such I assume He experienced the same types of emotions anyone else would….worry, fatigue, stress, frustration, urgency. If you knew you were about to die what would YOU do?
It may seem morbid but this is something that I reflect on frequently having tragically lost my mother when I was young. Realizing what my family endured and how unprepared we were for something like that I have always found it necessary to make sure my own little family would be taken care of should something like that happen to me. Things such as making sure we keep our life insurance up-to-date, leaving behind lists of account numbers and important papers should my wife need it, and more. All of those things are well and good but………
Let’s turn back to Jesus for a second……what did He leave behind for His disciples? If something were to happen to you unexpectedly you would probably be leaving behind cars, a home, maybe debt (yuck), and more. But what else are you leaving? The answer to this question is simple. A heritage — or possibly lack of one.
During those few years Jesus walked and talked with His disciples everything He said and did was to prepare them for His coming absence. He knew the day would come so He poured heart, mind and soul into teaching and preparing them. He gave them the tools they would need to fulfill their destinies for His kingdom. Are you doing the same in your home? You may not feel you have much to offer but you’re wrong. The rights and the wrongs of your life can serve as a guide for your children. You’ll never be perfect so stop trying. But you can allow the word of God to be your road map. You can live your life in a way that would be pleasing not only to the Father but can also serve as an example to your family. It’s important to leave a GODLY heritage for your children to inherit. Money and things are nice but what they really want and need is you….and a WHOLE LOT of God!
If you haven’t done so well make the changes necessary today. Trust me when I say your kids are watching EVERYTHING you do. Having children is like placing a mirror in front of your face. Much to our dismay they will most likely repeat it all…..the good, bad, and ugly. They were watching when you told the truth and when you decided to tell that ‘little white lie.’ They’ll treat their mate the same way you treated yours. Most likely they’ll handle their finances the way you handle yours. But even more important than ANY of that………they will learn to serve and love God by the life they see you lead. If you’ve screwed up thus far…..change it! Simple as that. I can assure you, if you will keep your focus on Him the majority, if not all, of the rest of that ‘stuff’ will fall into place. Listen to His voice. Heed to His calling. Leave something more important than your ‘stuff.’ Let the heritage you leave behind be the road map your children, grands and great-grands can follow for years to come.