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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it a parent’s right to leave a word of instruction to their children as part of a will? It seems that they had a right to live their life as they saw fit and just because they are leaving something tangible upon their death should not give parents the right to cause children to feel guilty if they don’t see life the same way. – W.D.

A: The last will and testament of the late J.P. Morgan is stunning to read. He is noted as perhaps the most influential banker in history. It isn’t clear what the reaction of his children was when they read their father’s will after his death in 1913, but one can only hope that they sensed the power of his words and gained strength from them as they heard these words:

“I commit my soul into the hands of my Savior, in full confidence that having redeemed it and washed it in His most precious blood He will present it faultless before the throne of my Heavenly Father; and I entreat my children to maintain and defend, at all hazard, and at any cost of personal sacrifice, the blessed doctrine of the complete atonement for sin through the blood of Jesus Christ.”

There is nothing more important than children knowing where their loved ones stand before God. This is greater than any tangible thing that can be passed down – a lasting legacy of faith in Almighty God. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions but in the quality of our lives. The unbelieving world should see our testimony proclaimed in life and death because it just may point them to the Savior.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2024 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

(c)2025 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.