WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY?

PREACHER: REV. DR. WILLY MUTISO.

TEXT: PSALM 112.

INTRODUCTION:
Will you live for the next generation by becoming the sacrificial lover and servant leader of your family? If that is your desire, here are ten (10) ways you can leave a godly legacy in your family.

1: Fulfill your marriage covenant.
Because the Church has failed to influence the family, divorce has become common in many congregations.
The “culture of divorce” is also taking root in Kenya.
Your family will never be stronger than the covenant that established it.
Your covenant with your wife will determine the kind of family you establish (Malachi 2:13-16).

II: Pray daily with your spouse.
Acknowledge God’s presence in your marriage and family. Break every wall that has been built during the day.
Build bridges across chasms that might have widened between you during the day.

III: Embrace suffering together as a couple.
Persecution, financial, social, parenting, spiritual problems will come – suffer together.
Bear each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2).

IV: Keep romance alive in your marriage.
Women spell romance “relationship” -relational.
Men spell romance “sex” – physical.
Cultivate romance through creativity.

V: Use words to edify your spouse (Proverbs 18:21).
Build up your wife; don’t tear her down with your words.
Minister grace, forgiveness, mercy, and kindness.

VI: Become a student of your wife’s needs and fears. Ask the following seven questions at least annually:
1. What can I do to help you feel more loved, honoured, and cherished?
2. What can I do to illustrate the fact that I respect you, your ideas, and your role as my wife/husband?
3. What can I do to assure you that I hear and understand your heart’s desire?
4. What can I do to ensure that you have confidence and joy in our future direction?
5. What attribute or practice would you like to see me develop or improve?
6. What would indicate to you my desire to be more like Jesus Christ?
7. What mutual goal would you like to see us accomplish together?

VII: Take the initiative to resolve conflicts (Eph. 4:26-32).
Conflicts are natural, normal, and neutral.
Deal and resolve conflicts before conflicts deal with you. Defeat selfishness and be ready to forgive.

VIII: Pursue a relationship with each of your children (Psalm 112:1-3).
Rules without relationships make children angry.
Relationships without rules make children rebellious.
For children to receive discipline and instruction, there must be a relationship (Eph. 6:4).

IX: Be a good shepherd (Psalm 78:72).
Be a woman or man of integrity.
Guard your boys from pornography and your girls from bad boys.
Know their friends and bad media influence (1 Cor. 15:33).

X: Persevere – marriage is perseverance. Through perseverance, the snail reached Noah’s ark.
Marriage and family need strong-hearted people.
Determine to remain married.

CONCLUSION:
It takes a real man to be satisfied with and love one woman for a lifetime. It takes a real woman to be content with and respect one man for a lifetime. How you will be remembered has less to do with how much money you make or how much you accomplish, but more with how you loved and lived.