Legacy and Vertical Thinking
Thursday, October 5, 2023, was my mother’s birthday. Although I do not believe that one will celebrate a heavenly birthday, I can acknowledge a person's legacy on earth. Therefore, I ponder whether a spiritual legacy can become an inheritance as much as the bequeaths of property and wealth as a legacy. You often hear references about leaving generational wealth for your offspring. In spite of this, the transference of spiritual values can have an even greater impact on one's quality of life than you could ever imagine.
In Genesis 15, God created a covenant with Abraham in which He promised that the descendant of Abraham would inherit an enormous amount of land that stretches from the Nile River to the Euphrates River. -
7 And he said unto him, I [am] the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it… 18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (Gen 15:7,18 KJV)
Often, we view these verses from a materialistic observation that one day, the offspring of Abraham or the nation of Israel will expand its borders based on God’s Covenant. If we view the same Scriptures regarding His promise from a spiritual perspective, we will realize something totally different. Spiritually, God guided Abraham from an ungodly environment (Ur of the Chaldees) to give him an inheritance of a Godly environment (Kingdom of God). Therefore, from Abraham’s descendant (Jesus), this spiritual promise passes from generation to generation.
Considering this revelation, I remember my mother implanting Godly principles into my life at an early age. In the meantime, I failed to realize the importance of such until she became ill and then passed away. Remember, a legacy can also mean how you live your life rather than how you achieve financial success and bequeath such to your descendants. Thinking about a legacy, I realized that my mother lived vertically rather than linearly. When you live linearly, you focus on specific times to accomplish a set goal in a series of progressions. For instance, most people earn a bachelor's degree by age 23. As for my mother, she returned to college in her later years while I was in high school. Seeing her persevere through her studies to achieve her bachelor's degree while working full-time affected me more than she will ever realize. Later, I noticed that her perspective on everything was vertical. She demonstrated that age should never become a barrier to success. When I faced a critical point in life, she advised me by quoting Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” These words have stayed with me ever since. They have been a beacon of light through tough times and a reminder of her faith and resilience. My memory of these words remains her legacy, and they encourage me to continue her legacy.
In retrospect, I realize that my life story is merely a guide for others based on my crucibles and accomplishments. As my mother encouraged me, my offspring must create storylines while remembering vertical thinking is beneficial. In a remarkable act of wisdom, God initiated an unconditional covenant with Abraham that his descendants would inherit the promised land (Kingdom of God). In other words, God established, and the only requirement for Abraham was acceptance. His acceptance of the promise consisted of a vertical thinker, resulting in faith. By elevating my thoughts to a vertical perspective, my accomplishments and crucibles will become minute compared to the legacy my offspring will inherit if I maintain vertical thinking.
Faith in God's promises is a spiritual legacy we pass on from generation to generation. Thus, vertical thinking is essential in transferring the same legacy we find in Abraham: a legacy of faith. So, become mindful of your pursuits and realize the essentials so you can leave a spiritual legacy for your offspring.
