What effect do you want to have on society? What are you going to do in life that everyone will remember? As one approaches the middle and end of his life, he starts to think about these questions. However, why do we not think about these questions earlier in life? Do you want to be remembered as the high schooler who hated everybody and didn’t care about anyone’s feelings? It’s not easy living with friendships wrecked – even if the relationship is restored. Yes, I have let go of the personal damage caused by hurting my friend in seventh grade, but our friendship was never truly restored. When I am reminded of this, I must remember all the friendships that are now healed or even stronger – even with the hurt that I caused. Our legacies are incredibly important – not just because of how we will be remembered after we die but also because of how our walks with Christ will influence the world.
The first but less important part of legacy is how you will be remembered in history. You don’t want to be remembered as some immoral drunk or lazy man. If you do fit into this category, then ask God for help and deliverance from your stronghold. When you are remembered as a godly person, people will see that and be encouraged to live holy. Proverbs 13:22 says that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children and grandchildren. If you live your life for Jesus, then you will show what it is like to live a life in the joy of the Lord, and that is an amazing gift to pass down! If they accept Christ and live according to God’s Word, then the legacy God started in you will carry down to your great and great-great grandchildren. Let God start the chain reaction in you!
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. Psalm 78:4
The second part ties into the first part, but it is more important. This is the legacy of Jesus that will go on long after the world has forgotten you (see the book of Ecclesiastes). While you will never be forgotten by God, you could very well be forgotten in society hundreds of years later. However, if the legacy you spread is the love of Jesus, then that legacy will last forever within the lives that accept Christ later down the road.
However, you must remain faithful in your commitment to God in order to leave a lasting and meaningful legacy. If you turn people away from the Lord during your life, your legacy will be meaningless. So, you must avoid hypocrisy and live for God’s glory, enduring to the very end of the race. Run with purpose in every step! When you run your race for the Lord with everything you have, not turning to the left or to the right, God will be magnified in you in more ways than what you can imagine!
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7
I cannot overstress that you must live a pure and holy life! As I stated about a month ago, you can turn people away from God by living a life of hypocrisy. If you think, “I’ll just repent afterwards;” you need to change your mindset to, “I will stop sinning and pursue holiness.” When you sin, remember that that is not okay, but God’s grace will cover you and empower you to live holy, but never abuse God’s grace with the sin-repent cycle attitude. Choose the right attitude and see how your actions change afterward! Your attitude is a large part of the story!
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:1-4
To give you an example, I was declaring living a holy life, but I had an attitude problem along with some other issues. As time has gone on, the Lord has been working in my life as I’ve surrendered these areas in my life. Since I love the Lord, I want to influence others for God; I don’t want to turn people away. In order to bring people to the Lord, I need to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. I’ve been letting God’s grace empower me, and He can do the same for you!
If you are going to be remembered long after you are dead, you want to be remembered as a God-fearing person, who was used by God to change the world. As time goes on, your legacy will hopefully be remembered and encourage others extending your legacy past your life. However, even if you are not remembered, if you live a godly life bringing others to Christ, and they do the same; your legacy will continue long after you are dead with a similar effect, and that is more much more important than being remembered. What you do now for Jesus will literally last forever. Live a life of integrity and share your faith; and your legacy will be greater than what you can ever imagine!
Have a great day!
COMMITTING TO GOD’S GRACE AND LOVE,
Jeremiah Yonemura
