How does a great legacy get established and passed on? To leave a lasting legacy with our children and grandchildren, David McAlvany suggests that we begin by asking ourselves a few important questions.
“What are the things that define your life together as a Christian family? How do you spend time at meal times? What are the things that you talk about? What are the things that you celebrate? What are the things that are infused with enthusiasm, excitement and adventure?”
He reminds us that it’s going to take time to reflect on the kind of legacy that we want to leave behind.
“In the modern world you’d think, with all of our conveniences, we should have more and more free time, and yet we have less and less time. It’s so necessary to stop, to pause, to reflect, and ask a basic question, what do we want out of life? Where are we going as a family? What are the things that we want to prioritize and how do we make that happen?”
Whether it’s a family motto, a creed, or a catechism, it’s never too early to impart a legacy of faith to our children.
“I don’t know that anyone is too young to experience or recognize the Christian faith, because what we’re really talking about is the Christian life. The Christian life is something that is full of joy and is, I think, the most appealing life imaginable. That makes sense to a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 6-year-old, or a 20-year-old.”
“It may be later in life that you find that the articles of faith begin to make sense to an older child, but the realities of faith, the things that we experience in life together, are never too early to start.”
David shares a personal example of establishing a legacy with his daughter.
“My 4-year-old daughter knows that we don’t quit as a family. Last year when we were skiing, she fell down and the first thing that came out of her mouth was, ‘Daddy, I got to get back up because we are the McAlvany’s and we don’t quit.’”
“You would be surprised the kinds of things that, by osmosis, our children and grandchildren learn. It becomes the glue for our family legacy and that is who are we? What is our identity?”
As parents and grandparents, we need to be intentional about leaving a legacy that will outlive ourselves and display the Christian life to future generations.
David McAlvany is the author of , the creator of The Missing Chapter curriculum project, and the host of The Intentional Legacy Podcast. David is a featured speaker on national television programs including CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business News, and Bloomberg; on radio programs; and at financial seminars around the world.
A lasting legacy
