How far you influence your generations is determined by your level of leadership. “Leadership is influence, nothing more nothing less” Dr John Maxwell. Have you ever considered how far your legacy will be perpetuated after you are gone? I have a simple answer to that question; it is up to you to decide by influencing the next generations accordingly. The bible admonishes us to raise our kids in the way they ought to go so that when they grow up, they will never depart from that path. Unfortunately, people expect their children or followers to do what they never prepared them for i.e. expecting to reap where you didn’t sow – you always reap what you sow. The time to build proper structures which guarantees the future we desire is now. A future of success, victory, unity, prosperity even in the midst of challenges and pain. We can never disregard the fact that life and contrary circumstances will happen. Pain and struggles are part of the journey of life, therefore, steps and strategies must be in place to address these challenges.
One other pitfall is assuming that the next generation will figure it out without giving them proper training. An awesome biblical example is found in the book of Genesis when Abraham trained men in his household for every aspect of life i.e. from negotiating deals on his behalf to war. He took 318 men in his household to war against five kings and delivered Lot his brother. He took the time to train them way before they ever needed to use those skills. Preparation then becomes key in building generational structures. One must prepare as directed by the purpose, vision and dream in their life. The preparation process for succession must be intentional and initiated early in the lives of our children. Huge responsibilities such as succession must never be sprung up on the next generation when tragedies hit. Our posterity must be strategically positioned to take over any day, any time. We, therefore, influence our generations through leadership and building power structures to support what we have built. Our children need foundations to build on and systems to sustain the structures we have built. These are the pillars required to build powerful generational structures.
Leadership
It is the duty of the leader to cast the vision and build the foundations to accommodate and sustain the vision. You have to evaluate yourself through a SWOT and DISC analysis to ascertain your current position. The results will determine the path you must take in preparing to lead generations coming after you. Purpose becomes the lighthouse, the magnetic pull calling you to destiny and vision leads the way. You will always follow something in life to be able to lead anything. Paul tells us in Corinthians to follow him as he follows Christ. Christ then becomes the reference point for everyone following Paul. The same applies to any leader or parent, your children or followers must follow the vision, purpose and principles established to fulfil the assignment. To leaders, it should never be about you. To followers, it should never be about the individual but about what he represents, the principles one teaches (always follow the process). If you follow the man, you will be disappointed when they fail or fall short of your expectations. Therefore, put their teachings and principles to test and apply them if they are valuable. Always pursue life principles and never the man. The Lord Jesus Christ always taught the Kingdom and never himself, He always refused any personal praise. Sound leadership is critical because leaders are tour guides who always take people where they have been.
Parenting
It is important for us to give our children a balanced family. A happy marriage brings a stable foundation and grounding to our children. Happy being relative of course. Happy doesn’t relegate the prospects of quarrelling and intense fellowship but never fighting and abuse. “The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” Theodore Hersberg. Moments of intense fellowship should just remind us that we are human but should never throw us off our covenant and commitment to each other. The way we lead our lives always manifest in our children and grand children’s lives. While some couples have divorced and others bereaved, in either of these circumstances, the greatest battle we must win is to protect our children and cushion them during these rough times. One way to do that is allowing them total assimilation of their current position and then integrate them in a balanced system or society. The reason is to protect their desires. The desire should always be for the best and what God has intended for every individual i.e. a happy life. It then becomes important to associate with the right people and control your environment. The church is one place that provides that safe haven. Bitterness and anger should not blind us to the will of God for mankind i.e. the fact things didn’t go well for me don’t mean the same fate will befall my children. Always strive to build a better future for your children – ACT NOW!