Legacy

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. Hebrews 9:27-28 NAS95

I was to have a first-time meeting with a new contact this coming week but this morning I got an email that stated her father had had a massive stroke and was passing away. He was 87 so his life was longer than many and she stated he was a gifted man. I don’t know anything more about the man or much more about the new contact. But I know this, she will always miss being able to talk to her dad. I know in the days ahead she will have sorrow, and laughter as she remembers something funny that happened during his life.

Yesterday marked the one-month anniversary of the passing of a friend’s husband. She was a classmate of mine back in high school. I have watched her grieve openly on Facebook, and my heart is torn by her pain.

These two events have caused me to think about my own mortality a bit more than perhaps usual. I have had a wonderful life with many opportunities that few will ever experience. I have no need to elaborate, that is not the point of this musing. The point is, what will be your legacy? I heard a speech recently during which the speaker suggested that the most important thing we could do was to spend time with those who will cry at our funerals.

I have often said I want people to say at the end of my life I lived the fruit of the Spirit. (see Galatians 5:22, 23) Recently, I have gone back to a quote a man named Richard said to me: Spend one-third of your life learning, one-third earning, one-third returning (serving).

While I desperately want to achieve both of these ideals, I am deeply aware that these are not enough to get me to heaven. As my dad said once, “You can be the best person in the world, but without salvation, you still go to hell.” He was talking about an uncle of mine that was truly a great guy, but he did not believe in God.

What is your story? How will the annuls of time record your passing? That you were a good person? They were concerned about …? Or will it be, they served the Lord?

You will die someday. So will I. I don’t want to be morbid about it, but I do want to be proactively seeking to live my life for Christ, and to be washed in the blood of the Lamb, who is the Son of God.

What will be your legacy? After my last post on reputation, someone emailed me that they were only concerned about the here and now and didn’t care about after they were dead. I care about both. My reputation as I live and the legacy I leave to my family and friends. I want to be an example, whether living or dead. I dare you to join me in this quest.