Bible Verse: A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 22:1
Legacy…
That’s a big word.
Not that it is a long word, but because of the meaning behind it. It’s a heavy word. Weighted.
Webster defines it as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.”[1]
That’s an interesting way to put it. Based on that, it seems that if you are a human being, you have two main issues to come to terms with.
The first one is your mortality and the fact that one day, you will draw your last breath.
And the second is what will continue to breathe in your name after you are gone.
In other words, legacy is about what you receive from your predecessors and what you leave for your descendants.
As Christian men, we especially should have a passion for leaving behind a legacy larger than our name can carry. But how do we do that?
Throughout history, many have embarked on the idea of building their legacy. Some have done it intentionally. Some accidentally. And some just simply and quietly lived their lives, never giving one thought to it, and yet they left behind a trail for others to follow.
We all want to leave this world a little bit better than we found it, and we compare ourselves to others who have gone on before us or are on the journey at the same time we are.
How do I match up with them? Will others remember me when I’m gone? What will continue to breathe after I’ve taken my last breath?
Over the next week, we will look at some good and some not-so-good examples of biblical men who faced these questions of their mortality and their legacy, and we will see what we can learn from them.
Prayer: Lord, as we journey this next week over this idea of “legacy,” help me to be open to what You want to show me. Amen.
Reflection: Reflect on your own legacy and the legacies of those you follow, and ask yourself if you are going in the right direction.
[1] www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legacy?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld
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