A Good Man

Where to start...? The beginning I guess...what prompted this post? Well today is my birthday and I decided to write something that is both a message to you the reader and to myself..

"A good man leaves and inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." Proverbs 13:22...

The above verse has been on my mind for a good part of this year, and I often find myself thinking about it. A couple of months ago, this verse popped into my head late at night as I was thinking about my heritage and what legacy I would leave to my children. It hit me that God thinks multi-generational, for example, in the Old Testament He refers to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...that is three generations. The promise He gave to David was to cover not just him but also those of his line as there would always be a king in Israel from David's line.

Does God expect the same from us? Does He want us to think of the generations that will come after us? I am sure not many of us have considered the thought, at most people will think about what they will leave for their children but never go beyond that. But the verse in Proverbs that I have quoted above implies that God expects us to think further than just our children, we are to do more, we are to do something that will endure even to our children's children and perhaps beyond.

Question is, what sort of inheritance will you leave? Please note that this is not just about money, the Amplified translation of that verse says "A good man leaves an inheritance (of moral stability and goodness) to his children's children..." I think moral stability and goodness are actually more enduring than whatever amount of money you can leave behind... and here I will give an example of my Gogo Dennis Liwewe (my great uncle)..who passed away 6 months ago...

His death caused me to consider a few things... He was not extravagantly wealthy in terms of material possessions, but he was very wealthy in terms of family, friends, influence and the amount of respect he got from society. He placed a lot of importance on family and how we live with those around us...much in the same way as my own grandfather did... I did not get to know him well...but the few hours I spent in his presence revealed to me what a great man he was... I had heard of him, he commanded a lot of respect within the family and he had a lot of authority... All the people who spoke of him, spoke with admiration and respect...and as a family we drew a lot of pride just by being associated with him.

Even in his death, he was still giving us lessons...the things that happened following his death actually confirmed much of what he had taught...and to me, it was a great lesson on how living out your passion and serving others will bring honour. What especially struck me was a letter that one of my cousins wrote for a newspaper column. In it, she mentioned the lessons she had learned from him and her pledge to live by the instruction he gave...it was so powerful because in general terms she said what most of the extended family would have said in tribute to him. He valued family, education, and service...and last month I heard the very same things being said of him by those who he mentored as young men.

He served his adoptive country, Zambia, so well that they gave him a state funeral...how many people can claim the same...he was not a politician mind you, he was not the richest man in Zambia... he was just a man passionate about football and serving his country...

So he left a good inheritance, not just for his children, but also for his children's children...and I am sure that those of us who were impacted by his life, will continue to teach others the lessons he gave us...that is the legacy of a great man... a man who is honoured both by his family and by his nation...

Now we don't all have to aim for a state funeral in our honour...rather we are to look for ways in which we can serve our family and the community around us...we all have passions, how do we live them out in a way that will benefit society? What are the things we want our children and grandchildren to remember us for? What sort of legacy are we going to leave...what sort of inheritance will you leave? Think about it and start taking steps toward that goal today...

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children.....