Leave an Inheritance of Kindness

We are learning this week about kindness in my series, Thriving in God's Garden. Today, I want to show you how to leave behind an inheritance of kindness for your children.

Buy stock in kindness.
We can read in 2 Samuel 9 about how kindness paid off for a man named Jonathan. He was King David's best friend and he served the king faithfully throughout his life. The two were closer than brothers, and when Jonathan died, David went in search of his children.

In all the land, there was only one son of Jonathan remaining: a man named Mephibosheth who was crippled in both feet. The following verses recount what happened when the two met each other.

When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.

David said, "Mephibosheth!"

"Your servant," he replied.

"Don't be afraid," David said to him, "For I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table."

Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" (2 Samuel 9:6-8 NIV)

Mephibosheth was blown away by the king's kindness. As a cripple, he was considered very unworthy in his day. To receive such a huge honor as eating at the king's table daily was beyond belief.

Imagine how surprised we would be if the President showed up on our doorstep to tell us that we were being given all of the land that the United States acquired during the Louisiana Purchase. We would probably stand there with our mouths hanging open if he told us that we were going to dine at the White House every night for the rest of our lives. Consider how much more shocked we would be if the President told us that we were receiving this gift because our parents had been kind to him.

The point is that when we are kind to others, they will remember our families and their needs after we are gone. What great life insurance!

What kind of legacy are you leaving your children?
Many of us worry about how our children will survive financially after we are dead. But how many of us think about other ways to bless them? If we are kind to others today, it may pay off in huge rewards later for our children, just as it did for Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth. What are you leaving behind?

Today's Challenge
Begin investing in your children's future today. Find ways to be kind to others, and the future returns will be given to your children.