In 2005, Allianz Life Insurance Company surveyed baby boomers and their elders about a wide range of family and financial issues.
The survey’s designer, Dr. Ken Dychtwald, said, “Many families wrongly assume that the important issue among families is money and wealth transfer. It’s not.”
Dychtwald, a psychologist, author, and leading authority on aging, added, “Non-financial items that parents leave behind–like ethics, morals, faith, and religion–are ten times more important to both boomers and their parents than the financial aspects of inheritance.”
The Allianz survey results speak to the issue of legacy–what are you leaving behind for those who come after you?
“Whether by choices or by chance, you will leave something behind for those who follow,” wrote Dan T. Barrett and Tim Woodroof in their excellent book, Leaving a Legacy.
The wise man wrote, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Prov. 13:22). Yet, as other passages remind us, the inheritance we leave can include treasures far more valuable than money.
Will you leave the legacy of a good name? A reputation for honesty and honor? Of godly convictions? Of principled behavior?
The Bible offers these legacy insights that ought to inspire and encourage us.
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold” (Prov. 22:1).
“Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed” (Ps. 112:1–2).
“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders” (Ps. 78:4).
Today, I reflect on the legacy my parents and grandparents handed down to me on this, the 101st anniversary of my mother’s birth, November 10, 1925. Last year I memorialized her in a blog post, “The Legacy of a Godly Woman–100 Years Later.”
Yet the legacy my Mom and Dad passed on to me began before them, through the values they learned from previous generations. As best I can tell, I come from six generations of Christians on both sides of my family. Their legacy, however, goes beyond the immediate family to the church family, as well as friends, neighbors, and work associates.
At age 78, I reflect on the choices I’ve made. Family decisions, financial decisions, and faith decisions. I think of my ministry, both the high points and low points. The good decisions and poor decisions.
Yet, nothing I can do today will undo those decisions. All I can do is move forward. Make better decisions. And shape a legacy that will endure in the hearts and lives of those I’ve touched–family, friends, and brethren.
And please be advised, it’s never too late to chart a new course.
We can renew our commitment to God. Repair a strained relationship. Encourage a younger Christian. And model the faith we hope others will follow.
On November 27, 1895, the industrialist Alfred Nobel signed his will, leaving most of his vast wealth to establish five prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace.
According to a frequently told account, Nobel had a rude awakening in 1888 after his brother Ludvig died. A newspaper mistakenly reported Alfred’s death under the headline:
“The Merchant of Death Is Dead.”
Imagine waking up to read your own obituary!
The familiar story says that Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, was disturbed by how he would be remembered and resolved to change his legacy. Although the headline and its influence on his decision are disputed, his will unquestionably establish an enduring legacy through the Nobel Prizes.
His story invites a personal question: If you could read your own obituary today, what would you want to change?
You and I shape the legacy we will leave.
John Maxwell was right when he wrote, “If you are successful, it becomes possible for you to leave an inheritance for others. But if you desire to create a legacy, then you need to leave something in others. When you think unselfishly and invest in others, you gain the opportunity to create a legacy that will outlive you.”
Indeed, “The memory of the righteous is blessed” (Prov. 10:7).
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
