WMA: Where to Begin

By Cindy Allen

At my house, we receive a newspaper from the Texas Farm Bureau. A couple of months ago, the cover story was about a young woman who was continuing her family’s ranching legacy. Her father started a farm to realize a dream he and his late wife had. Now, his daughter has taken over the dream and is expanding it. The title caught my attention — “A Ranching Legacy.”

I bet you know what part of it spoke to me. It made me think, what about people who are not handed a legacy worth building on?

I feel blessed to belong to a family of believers. I attended church occasionally with my great-grandfather and frequently with my grandparents. My parents were very active in church and practiced the teachings of the Bible. However, not everyone is as fortunate.

What should you do if your Christian legacy starts with you? I have good news! Paul spent much of his ministry writing to people in the same situation as you—those who trusted Jesus and wanted to live rightly but had no legacy to rely on. In II Cor. 5:17-18 (NIV), Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God…” God did this for the Corinthians, and he can do it for you as well.

One of Satan’s biggest weapons is throwing our past up in our faces. Don’t listen to him. God took it all away when you believed in Jesus. You are whiter than snow.

To begin a godly legacy, you must know how to build a solid foundation. Read Paul’s epistles and the book of James. They provide a great foundation for living a godly life. As you read, pray and ask God to open your heart to His desires for you. When you fall short, don’t be too hard on yourself. Everyone misses the mark sometimes (or often). The standards are high because our measure is Jesus Christ. But remember, God doesn’t expect perfection; He expects effort.

Another great help in starting a godly legacy is plugging into a Christian group. This could be a Sunday School class, Bible study, or another group of Christians who are living life together. If you already attend Sunday worship, I encourage you to join a small group. That is where accountability occurs, and we need accountability to live a godly life.

Now let’s talk about a harder thing.

There are things you might need to let go of — habits, people and characteristics that may not provide a solid foundation for the legacy you wish to build. “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

Pray, my friend. Pray for God to reveal things that need to be done away with and pray that He will help you toss them. He will! “Forget the former things: do not dwell in the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43: 18-19). God’s promises in the Old Testament to His chosen people are still true today to His chosen family.

One last thing I encourage you to do is find a mentor or accountability partner. This is good for all of us, not just those beginning their legacy. I know several of my friends who would be great in this role, and I bet there are several in your world, too. It may be stepping out of your comfort zone to ask for help, but we all need help occasionally. None of us has it all together, so get that out of your head.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23). Good morning, friend. May God’s mercies fall fresh on you as you build a legacy that will be an honor to him.

Scripture — Matthew 5, 6, 7; Eph. 4:17-32; Romans 12; James 1:19-27

Response — Take a deep breath. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither is a firm foundation. Pick one pillar for your foundation and begin to build it. It may be one listed above or something different. Just start. There is no right or wrong as long as you are building. And lean on God. He is the Master Builder.

Prayer: “Dear Lord, you always give us choices. Help me to choose to be the wise man, not the foolish man. I want to lay a foundation my family can build on for years to come. Storms will come, but they will help me build a house that withstands. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

— These articles are shared via the National WMA web page blog that can be accessed at nationalwma.org/blogs.