Bible Passage: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:9-22
There are many ways for a man to leave a legacy (and yes, not all legacies are good).
Scripture itself seems to encourage us to leave something beyond ourselves. To impact our world (both our own small ones and even the larger world) for good, to influence, shape, and direct it toward God’s ends.
In our personal lives, places like Proverbs 13:22 remind us that a mark of a good man, to which we all aspire, is leaving an inheritance for our grandkids.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls His followers to be salt and light, illuminating and seasoning the world in which we live, being the “city on a hill” as a beacon to something bigger and better (Matthew 5:13-16).
Then we come to Ecclesiastes 3:11.
Here, we are invited to uncover the truth: men long to leave a legacy because God has placed in our hearts an innate knowledge that there is more to existence than our short years and limited experiences.
We strive for a place in memory because the fleeting moments of our short and difficult years are exposed as a lie by the eternal horizon that God has placed within us.
We crave the path over the treadmill because we naturally look toward the future, where we are going, not satisfied to remain where we have always been.
But we must not equate lasting impact here and now with things of eternal significance.
Perhaps our desire for earthly memory is the sin-shortened sight of eternity.
Don’t misunderstand—leaving a legacy is still a good thing. However, when those legacy pursuits are shaped by the reality of God’s eternal Kingdom, for which we are all destined, our legacy desires change.
Shaped by eternity, we become fathers who are interested in raising children who are good in character, not merely successful. We strive to be husbands who help our wives become better women of God. We set our sights on being employees and bosses who exemplify the love of God and the ethics of the Kingdom in our workplaces. We build friendships that spur one another on to love and good works. We become churchgoers who carry the burdens of ministry alongside our pastors.
When we set our vision on things too temporary, we lose sight of what matters most.
Prayer: God who was before the beginning and beyond the end, thank You that in Your wisdom and mercy, You have destined Your followers to be with You for eternity. Forgive me for seeing the years of my life through a narrow lens. Give me a vision for eternity that shapes who I am and what I pursue. Amen.
Reflection: Are your goals shaped by eternity or merely the next milestone? How can we hold the two together?
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