Legacy Habits for Christian Moms

When we talk about legacy, the misconception is that legacy is all about a person– your accomplishments that will be remembered. However, that is not God’s intention for legacy at all, and as a Christian mom, you actually get to live on the frontlines of what legacy looks like.

Legacy is less about a person and their status and far more to do with what is cultivated and passed on from one generation to the next. What values did you teach? What lessons did your kids gain from relationships? Did they build a flourishing faith?

If that’s the type of legacy you want to strive towards, in this post, we’ll talk about the key habits you can implement as a Christian mother to start living a legacy now.

Legacy Habit #1: Explain Your Decision Making Out Loud

A quick win you can implement as a mom is to identify the moments where you can explain decisions and how they connect to values. It doesn’t have to be overly formal, just woven into conversation.

For example, “We’re going to go spend time with our neighbor today. I’d like us to work on being generous even if it’s just with our time. What do you think?”

Strong family legacies are built by helping your children connect the dots from their actions to values. The clearer they see those things, the easier it becomes to apply to their own behaviors– and that concept is true regardless of age.

Legacy Mom Habit #2: Set a Mom Check-In Moment

Asking questions that go deeper at connection is a special opportunity for mothers. We teach families various ways to ask questions, but consider your own version of this as a mom.

Create a short list of 3-5 questions and determine the interval of time you’ll ask them at (ie. is it weekly, monthly?). Use these questions to gain insight into what is on your child’s heart and where they may need encouragement or redirection.

Start with a few ideas like these and work on your own list:

• What can I pray for you about tomorrow?
• Have you felt heard and understood lately?
• What’s one thing you wish we could do differently?

Legacy Mom Habit #3: Celebrate the Good

As a mom, you get a front row seat to all that is happening in your child’s life, and one of the often overlooked ways to build a strong family and strong legacy is simply through celebrating the good. When we praise and recognize the good things family members are doing, it is a simple and subtle way to reinforce what matters.

Make it an intentional practice to look for the ways your family members are living out values and call out those behaviors. It can be done through simple compliments or you can find more creative ways to celebrate. 

Legacy Mom Habit #4: Tell a Good Story

The idea of legacy can feel daunting sometimes to figure out how you can keep things going for generations, but you can steal this little trick of one consistent thing that does get passed down: stories. We all have the family stories you’ve heard across generations, so take that habit and make it yours!

Stories are a way to convey lessons and values in an easier form to understand. As a Christian mom, you hold the prime opportunity to be able to share stories. For example, when your child is going through a struggle, maybe there is a related story or example you can use to help them think through the solution.

Remember, the requirement is not that you have to be a masterful storyteller. You’re just looking for available opportunities. (Get our full guide here on identifying your top stories and how to tell them.)

Live for that Day

Legacy is what you live now to be a good steward for that day in heaven when we stand before the Lord. Can you picture the future generations there? Let that vision drive your actions as you build legacy with your children as a mom.

It is all holy work, even in the days that feel mundane, you are investing towards that day in eternity!