Leaving a Legacy

Your Marriage is a Picture of the Gospel to the World.

You and your spouse are not perfect people, we all make mistakes and we all need forgiveness. The way we live our lives as married partners shows the world how seriously we take God’s word about marriage. If we tell people it’s important to forgive but then hold grudges against our spouse, we do not honor God. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15.If we tell people we should be slow to speak and quick to listen, yet have shouting matches in our home every night, we do not honor God. It’s not enough to say the things that we believe, we have to act them out as well too. Of course, that’s all easier said than done. If it was easy to do, then we wouldn’t have needed Jesus to come and set the example for us. But here were are generation after generation falling flat on our faces, needing a savior. So how can we show the world that we aren’t a bunch of hypocrites as they all think? We can start by remembering that we are bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:13-14.

All Eyes are on our Marriages.

In case you haven’t felt the pressure, all eyes are on Christian marriages, just waiting for the day when we mess things up or get caught in sin. Just so they can have some argument against God and against our faith. Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Don’t use your mouth to tell lies; don’t ever say things that are not true. Keep your eyes focused on what is right, and look straight ahead to what is good. Be careful what you do, and always do what is right. Don’t turn off the road of goodness; keep away from evil paths. Proverbs 4:23-27. In this world, it is so difficult to keep our eyes focused on what’s right. Right now, no matter what direction you look, you see sin running rampant. How easy it is to lose our hope when the path to destruction is so broad and there are so many on that road. But if we keep our focus on God and not on the world, it will help us remember who it is we are aiming to please. We should be looking to please God, so walk down that narrow road with your eyes pointed towards the heavens.

Leave a Legacy for Future Generations.

Have you ever noticed that if one family has issues with drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and are physically violent towards one another, the future generations seem to just keep repeating themselves? Well, the same is true on the flip side. If you show your kids how to lovingly discipline them, and how to run your household focused on God, they will most likely follow in your footsteps. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20. So teach your children and future generations to walk in the ways of Jesus and to always be reading his words, and it will pay off for generations to come. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2