Legacy Series - Generational Gifts

May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ empower you to be all that you were designed to be, and may God's peace run you down and take you over beyond just this season. 

Wherever you are in our global society at this moment, I truly believe that God has guided you to this blog. He wants you to know that you are loved, cherished and very special. You are the apple of His eye. You were fearfully and wonderfully fashioned and designed for worship; to give God glory and honor. He is pleased with you, and if you've been doing anything other than living your purpose through Christ Jesus, you can be encouraged that it's never too late to begin taking the steps necessary to do so. I am the daughter of Apostle Dr. Joseph V. Duncan and Apostle Dr. Joycelyn G. Duncan, founding and senior pastors of Divine Encounter Fellowship Ministries International (DEFMI), located on the beautiful twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. I am also the paternal granddaughter of Rev. Dr. Levi Duncan and Rev. Laurencia Duncan, who have now both gone on to glory. I am the maternal great-granddaughter of a Baptist preacher from the Bahamas named Rev. Theodore Cox.  This makes me a proud 3rd generation preacher's kid (PK.)

For as long as I could remember, my mother would reiterate to my siblings and I that, "God calls families!" As children we were always aware that those who came before us, helped paved the way for this very moment in our lives.  The same rings true for you. As preacher's kids, it is beneficial to continually ask ourselves, "What am I doing with my 'now' moment? How can I, as either a young or more mature member of my family called to ministry, capitalize on this 'now' season?" If you have been asking yourself whether you are too young to be considered a trailblazer, setting the pace for generations behind you. Or whether you are too old to be considered relevant to new generations of people who might think entirely different from you, then fear not. If God called your parents, then God called your family, and God has called you. It is always profitable to take stock and ask yourself, "Where do I fit in?" As it stands, your current existence is not an entity unto itself, because you are part of something larger, an umbrella idea. When God designed you to to be a contributing member of your family, he assigned you with destiny on his mind. You are a huge part of the vision that God gave to your parents, and your grandparents, your great grandparents. Tilt your head up and step out on faith, because you are the legacy. You are the dream. The dictionary.com definition of legacy includes "...anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor." From this definition it is easy to understand that a legacy can be tangible, i.e it can consist of things that one can actually touch such as a great-grandmother's favorite broach or an aunt's house left in her will. But we must remember that legacies are also intangible. They include attitudes or patterns of behavior handed down. How many times has someone in your family said to you, "Wow! You remind me of your grandfather! You talk just like him." Or "You have your great aunt's way about you." Intangible legacies are just as significant. In this case, I encourage you to take a moment to ponder on the spiritual aspect of your intangible legacy. 

 One of my favorite passages of scripture that perfectly illustrates the unique character of a spiritual legacy is Apostle Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy.  2 Timothy: 1:5-7 reads:

5. I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. 

6. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 

7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:5-7 NLT)

Here, the Apostle Paul reminds Timothy that spiritual legacies can be observed just as keenly as tangible things which are passed down through the generations. Paul also reminds Timothy that such gifts must be nurtured and exercised in order for them to be fully developed leading to eventual manifestation. How special Timothy's faith must have been as it was a gift handed down no doubt from stories that his mother and grandmother had told him. Faith was a part of his spiritual DNA.

I challenge you today, from one PK to another, to think about your own spiritual legacy. What are 3 things that you just know God has plucked from the generations before and gifted to you? You have a responsibility to continue to send them down the generations? How are you fanning the flames of your spiritual gifts? How are you paying it forward? Let's discuss. ReplyForward