Your Legacy

Legacy is an interesting word. It means an inheritance of property or money, but it also speaks to the value system you live by and the memories you will leave behind.

How do you leave a legacy that is a gift? And if you had inherited a legacy that was a burden, as so many of us do, in some form or other, how do you avoid passing that burden on to your children?

There is a Jewish saying that the most vulnerable people are those who are dead. The dead no longer have any power except the power those they leave behind give them.  Legacy is, in many ways, an attempt to have and keep making impact after death.

As Paul pondered the end of his life, he made three very simple statements about his legacy. He had “fought the good fight”—standing firm as a spiritual warrior, clothed in the armour of God, faithfully defending the truth of the gospel. He had “finished the race”—ensuring in the process that he was neither disqualified nor disheartened in the marathon of life and ministry. Most importantly, he had “kept the faith”—remaining true, committed, and loyal to the One who rescued him from sin and darkness.

Notice that Paul’s brief statements here say nothing about the education he had received, the places he had travelled, the letters he had written, the people he had preached to, or the churches he had planted. He flat out wanted his legacy to be labelled as “faithful.” I love that! It’s what I want to aspire to as a follower of Jesus.

So, I have to ask myself, “If that’s the kind of legacy I want to leave, how would I pursue it today?” Well, it means that my choices need to be more about “fighting the good fight.” I need to put on the spiritual armour each morning, as Paul told the Ephesians to do, and live to be victorious in all that comes my way. I need to be running the race to win, putting off all that hinders and the sins that entangle (Hebrews 12:1). And, it means that in every situation I want my attitudes, my words, and my actions to be loyal and true to Jesus.

As Paul told the Philippians, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:13-14). There’s no better time than the start of this New Year to set our sights on new goals that will, over time, develop a legacy worth leaving.

Building a legacy worth leaving behind begins today and is made one decision at a time. Live your life such that Jesus will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”