WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?
James 4:14
"...What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."
I've recently written my mother's obituary. She's still with us, but she asked if I would write it now, so she could not only enjoy it, but also check it to make sure I didn't mess it up. It was fairly easy to write, because she had only a couple focuses in her life.
Just since the passing of Charlie Kirk, I've thought about writing my own obituary... I want to make sure that it is written not to my glory, but to God's... anything that I've accomplished in this world, in the woods or on the water, or in my ministry... has nothing to do with me, but all because of God Himself.
An obituary can be a strange thing. Some people have a half a page and others just one paragraph. Some families tell the full life story of the deceased and others just tell the times for services. Some just tell the truth of a life well lived... and others have to make a way to sugar coat some of the characteristics of the family member that has passed.
What do you want you obituary to say about you? How about your eulogy or your gravestone? Will there be enough positives to write about or will they have to change some facts around so others won't know the real you?
We all leave a legacy. Some better than others, but each one of us will be remembered for something. Some legacy's last for generations, others are quickly forgotten. Our legacy is often written from how obedient we are to our heavenly father, who we showed His love to.
The legacy of Jesus's obedience was the men He left behind through the life He led, and that was a legacy of glory for Him because that obedience qualified Him to have His glory restored after a lifetime of humiliation.
Now that's a legacy worth living for. I can only hope that you and I could carry that legacy beyond this life. To so impact others that they go on and make a difference from generation to generation.
We might be ridiculed for the stance we take on things here on earth. Others that don't know what God expects from us may put us down to our faces and behind our backs... But in the end if we've lived the life we are called to life for Christ, our legacy will live on.
So someday when our obituary is written and your eulogy is spoken, will they have to search for the words to make you sound better than your were. Or will there not be enough time in the service or space on the page to share what you did in the name of Christ? Will your children go forward and carry your legacy to the next generation, bringing glory to our Lord? Will the men and women that watched your life, share with others what your life stood for.
We only have one chance, one life to live. We have only this time to build the legacy that we leave for the world to see. We'll be gone when our obituary is read and our eulogy is spoken, it's our last chance to affect the lives of others.
WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE?
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