Legacy

How do you want to be remembered? What do you want your legacy to be? Have you given it much thought? Have you worked out a plan to make that legacy real? Are you working on being the person you want to be remembered as?

With the passing of Ravi Zacharias a couple days ago, I’ve been thinking about my own legacy. Not that I haven’t in the past, but I reevaluated myself. I, once again, asked myself how I wanted to be remembered. I asked myself what I wanted my legacy to be. I asked myself if I was working toward that legacy or simply muddling through life.

The most important thing we can do, other than loving God and loving our neighbor, is to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), if we want a legacy of positive impact. You see, Satan is attacking us each and every day and without the full armor of God, we are defenseless, being herded down a path of destruction.

The next thing we need to do is work at whatever we do as if it is for God (Colossians 3:23). When we pursue the work God has set before us out of love for Him, we will succeed in ways we never thought possible. Of course, this means setting aside our own desires for the desires of God.

One thing for all of us to remember each and every day, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Another thing to remember is it takes years to build a legacy. Considering both of these truths, we must begin working on our legacy at the earliest possible time with intentionality. Being intentional, keeping our future legacy in mind every day, is key to the pursuit of it.

Find someone you look up to, someone who follows God with a strong faith, someone who does the very best they can each day, to be your example. Choose someone you know and can talk to, not someone far off. Then begin to ask questions, ask them to be a mentor, follow their direction, and get your legacy started.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be remembered for someone who followed Jesus and brought others into the kingdom. Bringing others into the kingdom may be a lofty goal for some, but each one of us can do it with God’s guidance and help. There is no greater legacy to leave than one of positive impact on others, including bringing them to Christ.

I pray we all take time to seriously consider what we want our legacy to be. I pray we decide how we want to be remembered today. I pray each one of us will lay out a plan and begin pursuing a positive legacy now. Be intentional. Be positive. Seek God’s guidance. Pursue your legacy each day.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.