The reality is you have no idea where your life will take you tomorrow. You are like a mist that appears one moment and then vanishes another. James 4:14 The Voice
The other day a friend and I were talking about a mutual friend who passed away a few months ago. He said to me with sadness in his voice, “you know I thought about him the other day and how it seems like people die, and life just goes on.” A bit taken back by his statement I found myself (feeling like I had to have an answer), coming out with, well yes, but although gone, hopefully we’re still impacted by how they touched our lives. Although we spoke a bit more, the subject got changed and we moved on.
But later that evening I couldn’t shake off our conversation, especially with my mind being filled with lessons I’ve learned from preparing for Sermons. I kept thinking about when James reminded us in the above verse, that life is short and we can live what time we have with purpose and passion or just “doing things” in this life until it’s over. Either way, whether we want to admit it or not, our lives keep speaking even after we are gone, sometimes even louder! Think about it, Jesus lived on this earth for only 33 years, with us knowing very little about 30 of them. However, the last 3 have been well documented by the Scriptures and historians. They show us Jesus and His followers continued to change the world long after their deaths through other Believers. This fact should give us pause to consider what we invest of ourselves into the lives of other people. Do we speak and act into their lives things that are beneficial to them in every way so they will also do the same into the lives of others?
In our self-centered, entitlement world today it seems we have forgotten about the blessing of creating a living legacy. The truth is for most people when they die, they become a “memory” of things they did. We say things like, “He/she was a good person”. “Do you remember when they . . . “. “He/she did such nice things”. Now compare that to hearing about someone whose life was a living legacy that continues long beyond their death. “He/she taught me to . . . and my life has been changed forever”. “Although I miss _____, they spoke wonderful things into my life and I’m so grateful for their relationship I’m speaking them into the life of others.” “I don’t even want to think about where I would be in life if _____ wouldn’t have taken the time to invest wisdom and knowledge in my life.” Now which things do you want to be said about you?
That’s what Jesus did, He lived a life for God that spoke to others of truth, wisdom, knowledge and a relationship with God through Him. He told us “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6). These truths spoken into the lives of others when accepted, empowered them to live way beyond all they thought or imagined they could be. Now you may be saying yes, but I’m not Jesus. True, but if you have prayed and asked Him to become the Lord and Savior of your life and to forgive you of your sins, He then through His Holy Spirit He has empowered you to have the same kind of impact He and His followers had. Remember what He promised in John 14:12 I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do—yes, they will do even greater things, because I am going to the Father. Do you see what He said? When we believe in Who He is we can do what He did and even more. He changed lives by leading others into a relationship with God at His expense. This truth was so powerful that Believers have kept passing it on up and to this very day until His return.
So I ask you, do you want to be remembered for acts, or as an investment and catalyst of change in someone’s life that continues to give others inspiration long after your gone? As with anything else in life the choice is yours, to become “just a memory” or a living legacy.
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