Do you intend to leave a legacy?
The quick answer to this question is yes because everyone leaves a legacy of some kind. The catch is – I do not want to leave this world with nothing positive for people to remember me by. Do you?
Friends, it is possible to begin to build your legacy now, even if you have several years left to live. I’ve listed the areas I am working on below, and I hope that they will be of help to you.
- Focusing on God and heavenly things
Our society is completely focused on money and all its trappings. Though it is true that we can’t survive without money, money should not rule our lives. These verses from Luke 12 put this point forward clearly.
Luke 12:20 -21 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God” (NLT)
The rich fool thought he had ‘made it’ in life because of his wealth, but God reminded him that he should instead have invested in his relationship with God. I wonder –have I invested in my relationship with God? Food for thought.
Matthew 6:20-21 “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (NLT)
- Obedience
I must admit – I have failed miserably in this area. Even the simplest of instructions and commandments are sometimes so hard to follow. Perhaps focusing on the benefits of obedience, as outlined in the following scripture, would help.
Deuteronomy 12:28 “Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the LORD your God.” (NLT)
My obedience to God will affect the future of those who come after me. That alone is motivation enough to obey him.
- Do everything for the Lord
Hang on- does this mean I NEVER get the credit? After all my hard work?
Colossians 3:23 “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the LORD rather than for people. Remember that the LORD will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” (NLT)
Whenever I am tempted to take the credit for my work, or I feel that nobody appreciates my efforts, I turn to the verse above. It is so encouraging to know that the work we do on earth earns us an inheritance from God himself. This truth gives me added motivation to serve our master, Christ!
- Finishing this life well
The other day I heard an account of a funeral where the eulogy was just a few sentences long. The person who was being buried had not done much with his life, and so those who had the task of writing his eulogy didn’t have much to say.
I always ask myself, what will people say when my time to leave this world comes along? Will they be left thinking of what I should have done, rather than what I did? The verse below is what I hope people will say about my family, my friends, and me once we depart from this world.
2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me – the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” (NLT)
Friends, my challenge to you is – let’s start building our legacies now and aim to finish this race called life honorably, all for God’s honor and glory.