Legacy of Stewardship

By Pam Jones

We have absolutely no control over some things in life...

April 15—tax day. Sudden sickness. Children grow up and leave home. Loved ones die. In time, we will pass off the scene as well. However, one thing we can control is our legacy.

Have you ever considered your legacy as stewardship? We need to be good stewards of the heritage we pass to our children and grandchildren. You help form their character. If you hate, they learn to hate. If you curse, they learn to curse. But, if you love and respect others, your children will do the same.

As a child in Northwest Arkansas, our family did not possess many material things. I lived in a four-room house without running water until I was ten years old. To say the least, we were poor. But my parents did have love, and they taught me to have the same. That is a gift no amount of money can buy. We did not inherit tangible things, but we received gifts of love, character, and respect.

My husband Tommy and I have three grown daughters: Bobbie, Jenna, and Mandy. They will not receive much wealth from us either, but I want to leave them with things that are even more valuable—characteristics I already see growing in them and want them to pass to their own children. First is love. If a child knows nothing else when a parent dies, they should know they were loved.

If parents would love their children unconditionally, it would change the next generation. So many adults have deep-seated problems because they were not loved as children. Don’t just tell your children you love them; show them you love them. People who knew my dad always said he loved well. Can people say that about you? Do you love well?

I also want to pass down the trait of honesty. I want my children to know my word means something. Be honest, dependable, and trustworthy. Sadly, far too few people put high value on integrity.

I could mention many other traits I want to pass to my daughters, but for the sake of space, I will only share one more: a sensational desire to serve God. My daughters and I led worship at a retreat last weekend, and I was awed by their genuine love and worship of God. I thought to myself, “I may not leave wealth to my girls, but they caught something far greater, a sincere love for Christ.”

What are you leaving behind? Land? Wealth? Or something eternal? These qualities can be your legacy of stewardship, continued in your family for generations to come.

About the writer: Pam and Tom Jones serve as church planters in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Learn more about North American Ministries: www.FWBNAM.com.