Legacy: The Greater Inheritance
- Kathryn Baker
- Dec 23, 2025
- 5 min read
My parents were known throughout the community as a pastor & first lady, leaders, and trusted friends. They served quietly, but the impact of their obedience spoke loudly. Their ministry, kindness, and wisdom left fingerprints on countless lives. Even now, years after their transitions from life with limits to life without them, their names are spoken with warmth and respect.
Yet after my dad's transition (as he transitioned before my mom), an ache settled in my spirit—not just from grief, but from the behavior of some who had once walked close to him. There were those who sought to claim what they believed they were entitled to, those who traded proximity for privilege, and those who clung to positions he had already released to the next leader.
What was once a sacred season became surrounded by confusion and contention.
One day, in the middle of feeling violated and shocked by what people were doing in the wake of his transition, Holy Spirit whispered something that changed everything:
“Whatever can be stolen was never the true inheritance. What your father left you cannot be touched, divided, or depleted—because you have inherited legacy.”
In that one revelation, peace replaced anger. I realized that a person’s legacy is not only stored in safes or titles but, most importantly, in hearts.
Inheritances of Possession Can Be Depleted—Inheritances of Legacy Must Be Lived.
Scripture tells us,
“but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” — Matthew 6:20‑21 KJV
An inheritance of possessions might change hands, but an inheritance of legacy changes lives. An inheritance of possessions can run out, but an inheritance of legacy runs on. An inheritance of possessions is handled in courtrooms, but an inheritance of legacy is carried in character. Inheritance transfers possessions; legacy transfers purpose. Inheritance of possessions is an event; inheritance of legacy is a lifestyle.
What my parents left me cannot be itemized or divided because it lives within me.
One Example of Legacy: Relationship
Among the most unexpected expressions of his legacy is his former cardiologist. After my father’s transition, having made a promise to my father that he would "keep an eye on" me, that same doctor has continued to watch over my health—and over time, he has become a close friend and brother.
This is legacy in living form—a relationship passed down, not by bloodline, but by divine design. My father’s influence continues through hearts he touched, including the one who once cared for his.
(In the short video below, you’ll hear his reflections on how one life can continue to inspire long after it ends.)
Legacy Reflected in Me
Before my mother transitioned, she said something that has stayed with me, as I continue to count it as one of the highest compliments she could have ever given me:
“After your daddy transitioned, it took a while for me to miss him because you’re more like him than I realized.”
To me, it confirmed that legacy had taken root. The same compassion, drive, and quiet faith that defined him were now being written into me.
Paul told Timothy,
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”— 2 Timothy 1:5 NIV
Later I realized something deeper — that what she was describing was actually an inherited legacy.
It dawned on me that not all inheritance comes wrapped in possessions. Sometimes, it shows up in mannerisms, convictions, compassion, and how we treat people. Legacies are inherited too. The difference is, they’re not transferred through hands but through hearts.
That realization helped me see that legacy isn’t just what we live after someone’s gone — it’s what begins to live within us. It’s inheritance at a higher level.
Legacy lives. It threads its way through generations, quietly continuing the story of faithfulness.
My Own Lesson in Legacy
A few years ago, I resigned from a managerial position and recommended my son as my successor. My recommendation was accepted, and when he met with the leadership team, the senior executive told him,
“You’ve got big shoes to fill. In all my years here, I’ve never had a manager like your mother.”
That statement humbled me deeply. I rarely saw that gentleman at work—our paths hardly crossed. Yet, my work had spoken for me in rooms I had never entered.
In that moment I realized: I, too, am building a legacy. My diligence and integrity have placed blessings in my children’s path that no one can erase.
Colossians 3:23 (KJV) beautifully sums it up:
“and whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
What we do unto the Lord outlives us. Our obedience becomes the foundation others can stand on.
Leaving What Cannot Be Taken
There will always be people who chase what they can touch. But true sons and daughters of purpose chase what cannot be taken.
“A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”— Proverbs 13:22 NIV
Legacy is not about accumulation; it’s about impartation. It’s about leaving your children and grandchildren not just wealth, but wisdom. Not just memories, but models of faithfulness.
So today I encourage you, when considering your children's inheritance, look beyond only that which can be accessed in the natural and treasure what has been downloaded internally. Protect what Holy Spirit has tucked away securely within you.
If something can be stolen, it was never the treasure. But what God has planted in you, no one can touch.
A Final Reflection
When I think of my parents now, I don’t measure what was lost—I marvel at what remains. Their love, lessons, laughter, and the lives they touched—those are eternal.
And perhaps that’s the real measure of a life well lived: that when the material is gone, what’s immaterial keeps multiplying.
Remember: Inheritance is the transfer of possessions; legacy is the transfer of purpose. While inheritance of material possessions is an event; legacy is a lifestyle!
May we all live to leave what thieves cannot touch and may our children one day find us not only in pictures, but in their own reflection.
Coach
Kathryn
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