Building a Legacy that Lasts: Peace for Our Days and Beyond
Some moments in Scripture stop us in our tracks not because a bad man does something wicked, but because a good man who could have done something did nothing.
There is a story that particularly illustrates why is the ministry of CrossGen Life so important.
Here is the setting. Hezekiah, the King of Judah, has recklessly shown envoys from the king of Babylon all the treasures in his palace. In response to such poor judgment God sends Isaiah to Hezekiah and tells him that some of his unborn sons will be carried away and made eunuchs to serve in the palace of the king of Babylon. It was going to be a catastrophe of national and generational magnitude. (2 Kings 20:16–19; Isaiah 39:5–6)
A word like that should have caused any leader, let alone a father, to fall to his knees. But Hezekiah doesn’t fall to his knees he sighs in relief and replies, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.” Then scripture reveals Hezekiah’s heart: “For he thought, ‘At least there will be peace and security while I am alive.’” (2 Kings 20:19)
Please, Hezekiah—tell me you didn’t say that!
Some commentators claim Hezekiah’s response was pious, suggesting he was submitting to God’s sovereignty. The text won’t let us do that. Hezekiah called the prophecy “good” because he would enjoy peace and security, even if his sons and their families would not. This is not trust in God’s ultimate good. This is surrendering—without a word of sorrow or repentance—to a situation he had caused. It is generational irresponsibility and the epitome of C.S. Lewis’ “Men without chests, expecting of them virtue and enterprise.”
Most shocking, Hezekiah knew better. When threatened by the Assyrians he had responded with contrition and prayer, and God defeated them (2 Kings 19:1–7) and gave him fifteen more years of life. (2 Kings 20:1–11) Hezekiah loved God, but failed the generational test.
The generational tests of our day are different, but the circumstances are no less urgent.
Our children are entering a world shaped by artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty, and relational isolation. The pressures are new, but the call is ancient: lead with generational vision. Dr. Jeff Myers, President of Summit Ministries, echoes this: "There is so much present trauma for the rising generation... a lot of stuff going on below the surface that makes them fragile in a time when resilience is more important than ever." And as John Eldredge emphasized in his book Resilient, Resilience comes, not from grit, but from living Biblical truths, repentance, humility, and generational connection. These are things our children need and things we can teach and model to them!
Generational leaders care about their day and the days that come after them.
Scripture consistently celebrates leaders who carry a burden for generations they will never meet:
Asaph urged each generation to tell the next the glorious deeds of the Lord so future generations would set their hope in God (Psalm 78).
Josiah wept over future judgment and launched reforms for the next generation (2 Kings 22–23).
Joel commanded the people to recount both God’s goodness and His judgments so succeeding generations would walk faithfully (Joel 1:3).
Generational faithfulness means looking beyond “my days” toward “their days.”
No one will ever experience an enduring spiritual legacy without the faithfulness of previous generations. Anchoring succeeding generations in God’s covenantal promise, “I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10), is the heart of CrossGen Life.
Hezekiah had previously led reforms and trusted the Lord in crisis. But he never cultivated a vision for the generations after him. That failure contributed to Judah’s downfall.
This is a too-little-spoken danger facing churches and families: we can be spiritually vibrant today and yet, through inaction or indifference, plant seeds of “future exile” if we do not care about the generations coming behind us.
Personal peace is not generational faithfulness. Hezekiah was content with peace “in my days.” Biblical leaders ache for peace “in their children’s days.”
Spiritual vitality must be transferred, not merely experienced. Hezekiah’s reforms were real, but they were not generational.
God established His covenantal promises to unfold across generations. Hezekiah accepted God’s word for himself but did not intercede for his descendants.
Generational leadership in our time means preparing children for an AI-driven world that is already trying to shape their thinking and when economic pressures will either pull families apart or push them back together. This means protecting children from defaulting to AI brain rot and guarding them from losing the ability to think and create. Teaching them how to discern what is false and what is real and how to hear and be led by the Holy Spirit is vital! On the horizon is a day when caring and connected Christian families could become the church’s greatest apologetic and most attractive appeal to the lost.
When it comes to the lives of future generations, there are no guarantees but there are promises: “They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, God of Jacob.” (Psalm 24:5–6)
Hezekiah’s story is a mirror for every leader, parent, and grandparent: Am I satisfied with peace in my day, or am I contending for peace in future days?
Imagine if Hezekiah had responded differently:
“Lord, have mercy on my sons.”
“Lord, allow me to set up reforms that will strengthen the next generation.”
““Lord, if you won’t change your mind, would you give me the grace to prepare them to stand faithful in Babylon?”
Someone in good health or in a secure financial situation might say, “At least things are okay right now.” (Don’t fool yourself. They aren’t.) But faith without generational concern is incomplete. We may be raising children in the last of the last days. Jesus may appear sooner than we think.
We are raising children in the last of the last days. Jesus may appear sooner than we think.
That reality should awaken generational urgency, deepen relational commitment, and strengthen the bonds of family and church. Hezekiah’s story invites us to pray far-sighted prayers, teach scripture clearer, and care about the generations we may never meet.
In a world of algorithms, economic uncertainty, and relational drift, the strength of tomorrow’s church will be found in what has always been its strengths: born-again believers, informed servant-leaders who understand the times and know what to do (1 Chronicles 12:32), the knowledge and practice of scripture, covenantal families, and generations who have been taught and remember the story of God. (Psalm 78:1-7)
Let’s learn the lesson of Hezekiah. Leaders, parents, and grandparents, surrendering children to circumstances is not a good choice. The measure of our faithfulness is not the peace we enjoy today, but the legacy we leave for tomorrow.
Take a moment and think about the days we are in and the legacy you want to create for the days ahead. Is there a resource you need? Cindy and I are doing a lot researching, studying, reflecting and praying for ways that we can help connect generations to create enduring spiritual legacies. Contact us. We want to help.
For today and tomorrow,
Jeff and Cindy Barclay