Higher than the question of our duration is the question of our deserving. Immortality will come to such as are fit for it, and he [who] would be a great soul in [the] future must be a great soul now.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of man's greatest desires is to be remembered once he has passed on—to be known for having made an impact on the world and the people with whom he came in contact. In striving to achieve a degree of immortality men and women have done many extraordinary things. Some, such as Howard Hughes and the Vanderbilts, have amassed great wealth, thereby keeping their names in the minds of the citizens long after their deaths. Others, such as Henry Ford, Bill Gates and Edgar Allan Poe, produced a product that filled a perceived desire in popular culture, resulting in a popularity that will surely live on after their deaths. Some have joined the ranks of the politicians to fight for what they believed was right and, in so doing, have made an impact that will last many generations after their names have been forgotten. Each of these methods may achieve some fame and remembrance, but there is another way to achieve historical impact, and this way has the blessing of God.
Our children are our legacy. God places His children in our keeping with the instruction that we are to raise them in the nurture and admonition of His will. How we raise our children is the legacy that we leave to the world after we have left it. If we follow popular thought and attempt to elevate our children’s self-esteem by never telling them they are wrong, we leave a legacy of self-indulgence and lack of respect for God and authority. If, on the other hand, we raise our children to follow God’s teachings and to live in such a way as to bring honor to God and to His church, we leave a legacy that will endure for many generations—the legacy of worship and honor of God and respect of all human life.
This is the task set before us as parents. There is no greater way to make an impact on this world. Freelance writer and mother of 11 Barbara Curtis wrote that people ask her, "How can the Lord use you when you’re so busy raising children?" Imagine the impact that the Curtises will have on the future when their children, who have been taught to praise and honor God, have survived their parents. There are few other ways for a Christian to have such an incredible impact on the course of this world.
The question then arises—How do parents raise their children properly? Is there a manual that spells out each step? Yes, there is a manual for all our questions in life. It is the Bible. And in this manual God has told us what is required of us. Micah 6:8 reads, "He has shown thee, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" This, then, is the way we ought to live, and as we walk circumspectly before our children’s watchful eyes, they will learn how they should live.
Parenthood is a great responsibility and a great honor. The Rev. Billy Graham has said that, "Children will invariably talk, eat, walk, think, respond, and act like their parents. Give them a goal to work toward. Give them a pattern that they can see clearly, and you give them something that gold and silver cannot buy."
This Mothers Day and Fathers Day, reflect on the example you are setting for your children. Is it the legacy that you would like to leave the world?