Skip to main content

Leave A Legacy


What do you think of in terms of leaving a legacy?  Leaving property or money?  That’s one way.

The dictionary points to more possibilities:  “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.”   Something transmitted could mean lots of things and it doesn’t always have to be something tangible.

The book of Hebrews records a legacy that wonderfully fits that broader definition:  “And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.”  In this case, God commended Abel for his faith and actions and both still speak to us today.  (Heb 11:4)

Another one is found in the book of Mark:  “I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”  In this account, the woman took a jar of very expensive perfume and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head.  While others were criticizing the act as wasteful, Jesus set the record straight:  “She has done a beautiful thing to me.” (Mark 14:3-9)

A legacy is something that should last.  Property and money may last for a time.  But the legacy that both Abel and the woman left has lasted thousands of years.  Neither involved transmitting something tangible but both involved transmitting something that they did.  And both legacies are permanently recorded in the Word of God and continue to speak to us today! 

Do your best to transmit a legacy that will last and one that will be meaningful.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Can't Get No Satisfaction

One of the songs that were popular in my youth was not particularly upbeat or helpful but it probably did express some of the angst of my generation.  It was not one that particularly resonated with me but as I recently read the book of Haggai, it did come to mind, well, at least some of the lyrics did.  It was the Rolling Stones song with the lyrics “I can’t get no satisfaction”.  Take a look at the chorus of that bleak song:   I can't get no satisfaction; I can't get no satisfaction; Gonna try and I try and I try and I try; I can't get no - I can't get no –   Now take a look at Haggai 1:6 – “ You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” It sure sounds like the people of Judah couldn’t get any satisfaction with the things of life that normally should have brought some type of s...

A Horse Of Course

In Biblical times, horses represented military power and strength.  And if you had both horses and chariots, well, that was the ultimate of military powers and wars were often won with them. Yet in seeking to have what would normally be considered insurmountable military strength, there was one factor that was often overlooked.  The Psalmist made it clear what that factor was when he wrote:  “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”   (Ps 20:7) While Israel did at times trust in the name of the Lord, there were other times when they tried to trust in horses and chariots to win their battles.  This is what the Lord spoke to Israel through the prophet Isaiah:  “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help,   who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots   and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord .”  ...

Stouthearted!

Steve the Stouthearted; it has a nice medieval ring to it, maybe even middle earth overtones.  I noticed that word “stouthearted” recently in Psalm 138, verse 3:   “When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.”   (NIV, 1973) The word stouthearted is used in the Bible to describe individuals who exhibit courage, determination, and resilience, often in the face of adversity or opposition. This characteristic is seen as a virtue, reflecting steadfastness in faith and purpose. The stouthearted are those who remain firm in their convictions and are not easily swayed by fear or doubt (from The Bible Hub website). And yet to be bold and stouthearted for most is not something that just comes naturally, we need the Lord to make us bold and stouthearted.   And, from the verse above, it appears that he does so in response to us calling on him.   So it probably wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that those who have been made bold and stouth...