Legacy LeadershipSýnishorn

One of the great tragedies of leadership is that many wonderfully gifted men and women of God either begin well but don’t finish well; or having finished well, see their ministry die with them. The kingdom significance and the momentum created by their lives have been great for that season, but the next generation has to start from scratch all over again. Future generations may benefit from practical success, but they don’t always receive the spiritual legacy that is vital for the fulfilment of God’s intention.

We see an example of this in the generation that follows after Moses and Joshua. Moses understood the importance of intimacy with God and the great need to pass that on. He knew that for legacy to be imparted to the next generation, there had to be a deliberate focus on discipleship.  

• Moses laid his hands on Joshua as an intentional impartation of gifting.  
• Moses trained and empowered Joshua to be a great warrior, a man of conquest, one skilled in the strategies of gaining new territory. 
• Moses actively and intentionally drew Joshua into a devotional life of encounters with God. Moses took Joshua up the mountain of God, and also took Joshua into the tabernacle where he lingered in the presence of God.

When it came time for Joshua to assume the role of apostolic leader, he empowered the next generation in the ways of war by his own example. He imparted the keys of success and the fruit of victory. 

The kingdom conquests of Joshua remain recorded as his incredible success, and part of his legacy was the gift of land for the nation of Israel to dwell in. But generationally, Joshua left no spiritual legacy. Joshua had no young man to linger with him in the tabernacle. Consequently, there was no legacy of the divine authority, no legacy of divine favour, no legacy of apostolic leadership, and, above all, no legacy of intimacy with God’s heart. The spiritual legacy that Joshua himself had received from Moses was not passed on.

Although Joshua still lived those things personally, he did not intentionally disciple the third generation in them. And, tragically, that birthed a generation that kept the fruit of success but turned their hearts to do evil in the sight of the Lord.

Honouring legacy generationally means walking with the same heart and DNA, and honouring the same principles, values, and priorities of the one with whom God gave the original covenant and commission.