Dear Church Family,
My wife’s grandmother was the most wonderful cook. My wife would often recall some of her grandma’s special dishes and try to replicate them, only to find that the recipe cards were not super specific. Her grandma knew that these dishes might need a bit more or less of something on a certain day than on others. In her vast experience, she could mix things up, adjust as needed, improvise if required, but ultimately, she had a gift to “just know” how to make it wonderful. These recipes could not simply translate to a card; they needed to be learned by cooking with her.
When we think about legacy, we often think about what we leave behind: a name, a building, a tradition, a recipe nobody can quite duplicate, or a restored car that everyone in the family secretly hopes to inherit. But for the Christian, legacy is not about what we leave behind. It is about who we help lead toward.
God has brought us into a new community through the work of the cross of Christ. We were not saved as isolated individuals and then told, “Good luck out there. Try not to get eaten up by the world.” On the contrary, through Christ, we have been brought into the family of God. Paul writes, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19, ESV). Or as John frames it, we have been adopted into a family, grafted into a vine.
In other words, the Christian life is not a solo project. We may think of it like a church potluck… everyone brings something, we all contribute, and we are all better because we showed up and participated.
Most of us can name people whom God has used to shape our faith. Perhaps it was a parent or grandparent who prayed faithfully. Maybe it was a Sunday School teacher who opened the Bible with patience, joy, and the supernatural ability to survive a room full of children with glue sticks. Maybe it was a pastor, elder, youth leader, neighbor, or friend who encouraged us when we were weary. Perhaps it was a coach who knew it was more about eternity than simply wins and losses. Some of these wonderful individuals showed us how to serve. Some taught us how to forgive. Some demonstrated what faithfulness looks like quietly over the years. Their influence may not have been loud, but it was lasting.
Paul gives this kind of instruction to Timothy: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2, ESV). Notice the pattern. Paul poured into Timothy. Timothy Poured into others. Those others would then teach still more. That is the Christian legacy. It is a faith handed from life to life, heart to heart, generation to generation. It does not have to be flashy. It simply requires faithful people investing in other faithful people. It is a faith learned by a shared journey.
This is not only the work of pastors or church leaders. It is the calling of the entire church. Older believers are called to teach and encourage younger believers. Mature Christians are called to walk alongside those who are still growing. Friends are called to “stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24, ESV). (Some of us are very good at stirring things up already, so Scripture kindly gives us the right direction: love and good works, not drama and gossip.)
The church continues as one generation intentionally pours into the next. Programs may help. Buildings may serve. Events may encourage. Coffee may keep us awake through meetings and long-winded messages, but the life of the church is carried forward as disciples make disciples, as Christians befriend, mentor, teach, and encourage others in the Lord.
So consider the Christian influences God has placed in your life. Who helped form your faith? Who prayed for you? Who corrected you, lovingly enough that you did not immediately change churches? Who encouraged you to keep going? Who showed you what it means to love Christ and His church?
Then ask the next question: Who might God be calling you to influence?
Perhaps there is a young person who needs encouragement. Perhaps there is a new believer who needs someone to walk beside them. Perhaps there is a lonely person who needs friendship. Maybe someone near you simply needs the invitation to come to church. Perhaps there is a family, a student, a child, a neighbor, or a fellow church member who would be strengthened by your prayers, your presence, and your example.
A legacy for Christ is not built by accident. It is intentional. It is built through faithful love, ordinary obedience, persistent patience, intentional kindness, and real relationships. Let us prayerfully consider who we can pour into, befriend, mentor, invite, and encourage. By God’s grace, let’s become the kind of people who help others see Jesus more clearly, follow Him more faithfully, and pass the faith on to still another generation.
Let’s hand down the recipes of our life through more than words, but in a shaping, shared journey together.
Loving you all,
Michael