For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
Acts 2:39
Most people would say that self-interest is the greatest motivation. However, personal contribution to something bigger than one’s self is a close competitor. Sadly, most people do not find something to which they can contribute that is worth giving themselves to.
It is the nature of God to give an inheritance. He does not have to give an inheritance. It’s His love for us that moves Him to be amazingly generous. Perception of fallen humanity leads to thinking only of providing for and protecting ourselves. The people of God have a different perspective: “A righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (Prov. 13:22).
The promise of the Holy Spirit is for everyone. Notice what Jesus accomplished in three years, and most of that in three days. He left an inheritance for all of humanity. That is contribution and significance. What kind of inheritance are you leaving for those who will follow you? Are you sowing your “talents” into a field that will allow you to be as generous to your descendants as you desire?
The greatest gift we can give those who come after us is a picture of what life with the Holy Spirit is like. The gift of seeing their parents, grandparents, and family intimately walking with the Holy Spirit is more valuable than any amount of money, trusts, or property.
When my wife, Micki, became pregnant with our son, Judah, I began to seek the Lord to prepare me for fatherhood. The more I sought Him, the more I loved Him. But I was not getting a whole lot of answers about how to be a good father. Then I realized exactly what I needed to do: I’ll spend my entire fatherhood introducing my son to the most wonderful Person I know. I have been overwhelmed with the simple and yet profound privilege I have to facilitate the relationship between my son and the Holy Spirit. I have many other things I desire to leave my son, but this one is the greatest!
Take time to honestly evaluate what you are giving to others. Are you giving what you desire to give? Why or why not? Will your inheritance to those after you have a deep, meaningful impact? Are there personal changes you are willing to make to leave a greater inheritance?
A little boy wakes up early one morning, before the sun was even up. From his room in the back of a little house, he can see the light on the living room and can faintly hear someone talking. He moves out of his bed and onto his feet to see what is happening in the living room. As he creeps down the little hall toward the living room light, he begins to rub his tired eyes. He peers slowly into the living room to investigate.
There he sees his father with his knees on the floor and his face down in the seat of the recliner, praying fervently for the boy, his two sisters, his mother, and for himself. The boy watches for a while. He thinks to himself, “I’ve never heard my dad pray like that before.” The sacredness of the moment captivates him. He kneels down quietly at the edge of the hallway to listen some more. The father prays to God as if he knows Him, like He is there with him, like God is going to answer him.
Gradually, as the morning rolls on, the tired little boy falls asleep in the floor of the hallway. He is awakened as his father picks him up in his arms to take him back to bed. “Daddy,” the little boys says with his eyes still closed and half asleep.
“Yes, my son.”
“What were you doing in there?”
“I was praying, talking to God, son.”
“Why?”
“He is my Father and invited me to come talk to Him,” replied the dad.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, my son.”
“Will you teach me how to pray, too?”
“Yes, my son. It would be my honor.”