We often hear questions like these: "What do you want to be remembered for? What is your legacy?" When we read the news, we hear about people who have passed away, leaving their marks on their occupations or industries. Perhaps they will never be forgotten by the world of film, or literature, or athletics, but here is the question: what does it matter? For sports, players aspire to part of their sport's histories, by winning championships and, ultimately, becoming a member of the Hall of Fame, where they can be enshrined with the other legends of their game. Film and literature, and all other such things, have their legends as well. With all they've done, and the great effects they've had on their industries, have they really done anything important? How truly valuable were the impacts we remember them for?
Humans often live for their legacy. They live to create the life that history will remember. Yet, I do not believe this to be our purpose. I've often had this thought: I don't need or want a legacy. I don't need to be remembered when I'm gone. I'm not living today for someone else's memories. Here's what I do want: to live my life for the glory of God, for the good of His kingdom. It doesn't matter if I'm remembered; all that matters is what I do today, and the difference it makes in the lives (and eternities) of others. I'm fine with being forgotten tomorrow, as long as I make a difference today.
Of course, there are people in the history of our faith that we remember, as we should. We read about men and women in the Bible - Abraham, David, Ruth, and Paul, and so on, and we should look to their stories for instruction, learning both from their successes and their failures. There are other people we should not easily forget, such as Billy Graham. I'm certainly not saying to forget those people who have left their mark on the world and on our faith. What I'm saying is this: don't worry about how you'll be remembered. Let tomorrow's histories worry about that. We need only think on the life that God has given us, for His will is what we ought to be following. A great reputation is worth nothing if the man behind it has done nothing. Jesus Christ is in Heaven, waiting for the day of His return, and the time we have left must be spent furthering his kingdom, not furthering our own legacies.
Humans often live for their legacy. They live to create the life that history will remember. Yet, I do not believe this to be our purpose. I've often had this thought: I don't need or want a legacy. I don't need to be remembered when I'm gone. I'm not living today for someone else's memories. Here's what I do want: to live my life for the glory of God, for the good of His kingdom. It doesn't matter if I'm remembered; all that matters is what I do today, and the difference it makes in the lives (and eternities) of others. I'm fine with being forgotten tomorrow, as long as I make a difference today.
Of course, there are people in the history of our faith that we remember, as we should. We read about men and women in the Bible - Abraham, David, Ruth, and Paul, and so on, and we should look to their stories for instruction, learning both from their successes and their failures. There are other people we should not easily forget, such as Billy Graham. I'm certainly not saying to forget those people who have left their mark on the world and on our faith. What I'm saying is this: don't worry about how you'll be remembered. Let tomorrow's histories worry about that. We need only think on the life that God has given us, for His will is what we ought to be following. A great reputation is worth nothing if the man behind it has done nothing. Jesus Christ is in Heaven, waiting for the day of His return, and the time we have left must be spent furthering his kingdom, not furthering our own legacies.
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