How to Leave a Legacy of Love
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1
One of the things I love about Matthew 1 is the record of Jesus’ ancestors.
It includes Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon, but it also includes Rahab, the prostitute, who was mother of Boaz (David’s great-grandfather), Ruth, the foreigner, who was the mother of Obed (David’s grandfather), and Bathsheba, the woman with whom David had an affair. And God called David a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:!4)
Why does it matter? Because God sent Jesus to be the Savior of all people . . . Jews, Gentiles, men, and women!
It doesn’t matter who or what is part of your past – God uses all kinds of people to accomplish His purposes. He uses ordinary people to do His will on earth.
“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
Matthew 1:23
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call Him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”
He even used a poor teenage girl and her human ancestors to form His Son into the God/Man Word Made Flesh!
How to Leave a Legacy of Love
I love Stephen Covey’s quote:
“Live, laugh, love, and leave a legacy.”
I’ve added a few words to make it my own…
Live with joy.
Laugh often and enthusiastically.
Love God, friends, and family with a full heart.
Leave a legacy that glorifies God!
The Psalmist said it this way:
We were filled with laughter,
Psalm 126:2–3
and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
“What amazing things
the Lord has done for them.”
Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us!
What joy!
So, let’s pray and ask God to help us “live, laugh, love, and leave a legacy” all for His glory!
Father, thank you for using ordinary people to accomplish Your plans and purposes. Thank you for showing us how valuable every person on the planet is to You.
You lift up people of all races. You show Your love and care for women and men. You call every one of us to repentance and freedom that we might be made new and receive beautiful opportunities by Your grace, to leave a legacy of laughter and love that gives You glory!
This is my prayer, Lord, to bring to You my failures and flaws in humble repentance and to surrender my life to You as an offering of my love. I give myself to You. Please help me live every moment of my life for Your glory and leave a lasting legacy of Your love! Amen.
Friend, whatever your ancestry looks like . . . God’s grace is sufficient to put His mark on it to help you from this moment on leave a legacy of love for His glory.
Write the following on a post-it note to help you remember:
Today, I will leave a legacy of love.
God bless you today and throughout the year ahead!
That’s the kind of legacy I want to leave, Deb. Thanks for this inspiration today!
Blessings!
Me too, Martha!! Me too!!
Don’t you just love that He is the God of generations, ALL generations. Yet with a heart of love and eye for detail for each and every individual!! Thank you, Deb, for this beautiful reminder to live, laugh, love, and leave a legacy.
Amen, Deborah! I think it’s easy to make Him both too big and impersonal or too small and incapable. He is the Great I AM . . . we can trust Him to accomplish His plans and purposes in, through, and around us. Thanks so much for visiting and for joining the conversation. God bless you!
I love this post on leaving a legacy for God!!
Happy new year dear friend !!
Thank you, Diana! Happy New Year to you as well! Blessings and hugs!!
What an incredible gift God gave us by including some of the people he did in the ancestry of his Son. Thank you for this wonderful encouragement that we ALL have a wonderful legacy to leave in Christ!
Thank you, Patti! I love the reminder that no one is unimportant to Him. Everyone is precious to the Kingdom! God bless you!
Really loved this post! My husband and I are expecting our first child and thinking about leaving a legacy is very relevant for me. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and wise words!
Congratulations, Britta! Thank you so much for visiting and for your kindness. May God bless you and your family!
Deb,
I enjoy your devotional so much! I love that you use a lot of scripture with your personal insight. I see that you are shortening them some and I’m glad to see that. Today’s was a perfect length. As rich as they were before, I would find myself not reading them unless I had a lot of time or sometimes I didn’t finish them because of time or just too much to take in. Blessings to you and thanks for offering these to us. Living, laughing and leaving a legacy, Patty
Oh, Patty, thank you so much for your encouragement. When you make a big change you never know how your readers will receive it. I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know. Blessings and hugs!
This is a beautiful blog and I really needed the encouragement to laugh and leave a legacy!
I appreciate all the writing and sharing you do, Deb! May God continue to lead others to this blog too! Amen
Thank you, Jamie! I am blessed by your kind encouragement. God bless you!
Good morning!
Thank you so much for your blog, There’s so much for me to learn.My knowledge is very bad,the bible is difficult to understand so I find myself lost in trying to know God,I know the basics of the beginning then I lose sight as I read more. I want God to know I love and need him.
I always wanted to read and understand the Bible
Thank you Debs for giving me a start
I’m enjoying your method so far
Thank you for letting me know, Judy. I’m glad you are being blessed by your time in the Word. I’m praying and asking the Lord to bless you as you SEEK to grow closer to Him. Thanks again! God be with you!