Zambia Hunt

Dear Children,

In light of the reality of death pressed upon us by events this year, and the passing of men of God who have impacted our lives—men we have known and in some cases had close relationships with—I have been thinking ahead to the day when you may hear that I have finished my earthly race. I have no plans of checking out anytime soon; there is much to be done for the cause of Jesus, and I pray that my best years are yet before me. But when you hear of men being called home at 31, 50, 51, and 56, it does remind you of the brevity of life down here.

What inheritance and legacy do I want to leave you?

1. I want to leave you the gospel! I desire for every one of my children, grandchildren, and one day great-grandchildren to know Jesus as Savior. If you are reading this, know that there is nothing more precious, more life-altering, more eternally significant than knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior. My prayer is that you will receive Jesus as your Lord and grow to be a man or woman of God. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
2. I want to leave you an example of godliness. I have desired to trust in Jesus not only for salvation but also to guide my life and provide for me. I want to live out my faith in simple trust in a living, sovereign God, and I pray that my example will lead you to pursue Christ as your highest goal with passion. We are commanded to leave a spiritual legacy, to teach the next generation by words and by example. I want you to live for God now and always, and to follow my example by teaching your children after you. (Psalm 78:4-7)
3. I want to leave you the heritage of a good name. A good name is to be chosen above riches, fame, and honor (Proverbs 22:1). Never sacrifice your good name for these lesser things. Being a Hunt means that we are people of our word, that we swear to our own hurt and do not change (Ps. 15:4). It means we speak the truth and reject lying for any reason. Hunts are truth-tellers and truth-lovers. Being a Hunt means working hard for the glory of God and the good of others, not motivated by personal gain (Ecclesiastes 9:10,1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). Being a Hunt means being humble—not thinking highly of ourselves because there is nothing we have that we were not given (Romans 12:3, Philippians 2:5-8, 1 Corinthians 4:7). Any personal achievement was only possible through God and because of others investing in us. A Hunt is a broken servant leader. If I have any money, you can have that too, but money is nothing! Don’t live for it, and certainly don’t love it. God has promised to provide all our needs, and He will do so in a variety of ways. If you gain this world’s wealth, steward it wisely for gospel advance and hold it loosely. But protect your good name with your dying breath.

May God bless you, my children. I want to see each of you in heaven. If I get there ahead of you, I’ll be standing behind Jesus, just off to the right, to add my welcome! I love you.

Dad / Opa