I want to leave a legacy…but not in the way you might think. We define a legacy as anything passed down from a predecessor or ancestor. Generally this means a gift of personal property such as money or land through a will or bequest. There is certainly nothing wrong with planning to leave an inheritance to our children. This is simply being responsible with our resources. However, if we only leave them material wealth, are we withholding gifts of far more importance?
This past week-end I toured the Biltmore Estate with my family. My daughter and her husband live in Asheville and like many people in the area, they have annual passes. With these passes came free tickets in their off-season. This gave a great excuse for several of us to come down from Indiana for a visit. I never tire of exploring the lovely gardens and the magnificent home of the Vanderbilts set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The main building sits like a castle atop a hill overlooking the French Broad River. At a time when most people in the United States didn’t have indoor plumbing, Biltmore contained 43 bathrooms and a swimming pool in the basement. Biltmore Forest and Pisgah National Forest were once a part of this vast estate. What a legacy the Vanderbilts left to the community of Asheville to enjoy.
King David sought to leave a legacy similar to this for his son, Solomon. He left him great wealth and amassed the building supplies needed to construct the temple in Jerusalem. After its completion, nothing in the whole world compared to the beauty of Solomon’s Temple. However, this was not the King’s greatest legacy. During his lifetime, David was known as a man after God’s own heart. Most of the psalms written by David, praised the God he loved. However, his life was far from perfect. His adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband are recorded in the Bible for all to see. His failings were many but he never turned away from the Lord. He wrote, “Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again. Do not send me away from you or take your Holy Spirit away from me.”1
This is the kind of legacy I want to leave for my children and their children…a legacy of faith like my parents passed on to me. I’m far from perfect. My failings are many. However, Mother Teresa wisely noted, “God does not require that we be successful only that we be faithful.” Through struggles and joys, failures and successes, my greatest goal at the end of my life is to be found faithful. If I point to Jesus as the perfecter of my faith, in and through this imperfect life, then my goal will be met.
Most of us will never amass the great wealth of the Vanderbilts, King David or Solomon. Don’t let this discourage you. Remember you possess a far greater treasure that holds its value eternally. A gift of material goods only benefits the next generation. However, when you leave a legacy of faith, this sustains multiple generations to come.
1Psalms 51:10-11
