A Legacy of Faith by Lisa Burkhardt Worley, D.Min.
We had a wonderful visit with our son, Kyle, his wife, Bailey, and our four-year-old grandson, William, this week. It was William’s first day of Pre-K school, and we wanted to celebrate that milestone with him. To William, I am “Lele,” and my husband is “Papa.”
The first night we were there, we sat down to eat, and William said, “Lele, can we pray to Jesus?” “Of course!” I responded, and we thanked Jesus for the food. Later that week, my friend Sonny Gann, an author and counselor, spoke to our 55+ Abraham and Sarah group at church about “Legacy” and he asked, “What kind of legacy do you want to leave your children and grandchildren?” I answered, “A faith legacy.” Then I remembered how William asked me to pray. I had set that example before, and he had not forgotten.
We can all leave a legacy of faith for our family members.
Research shows that “Parental religiosity is consistently found to be the single strongest predictor of child religiosity over the life course.” According to a 2024 report, The Spiritual Journey, from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts, 64% of today’s evangelicals say one or more family members influenced their faith decision, including 38% who say the impact of family exceeded that of church, friends, media, personal Bible reading, or any other factor.[2]
Our Christian witness is most impactful in our families. It is not always easy to take a stand for faith, even in a close-knit family environment. However, it is important to remain consistent. As believers, we should live a life that is centered around the LORD, one that is above reproach. It’s important to love family members, even when they don’t always show us love. One ugly word could destroy our witness. And most importantly, we have to pray daily for our family to know God intimately. Our prayers are not always answered in our timing, but God rewards persistence.
For me, legacy is not about achievements. It doesn’t matter how many awards I’ve won or how far I advanced in my career. Instead, I want to leave my family with the most important legacy, a legacy of faith. What about you?
[1] Jesse Smith, “Transmission of Faith in Families: The Influence of Religious Ideology,” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8204683/
[2] Ron Sellers, “Faith is a Family Affair,: Studies Reveal Spiritual Development Often Starts at Home,” https://influencemagazine.com/en/Theory/Faith-Is-a-Family-Affair.
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