What Will Your Legacy Be

While most of us will never even be a footnote in a history book, that doesn't dismiss the fact that each of us leaves a mark upon this planet, otherwise known as our legacy. Your legacy will have an impact on each and every relationship, and particularly future generations. If you do not believe that it will affect your children and grandchildren you can only look at the examples where family members, generations removed will try to clear the name of someone who may have been wrongly accused of a crime or some other offense.

At one time in this country a family’s name really meant something, and maintaining a good name was more important than wealth and fame to many. When was the last time you gave thought to how important your family name was to those who came before you? An even more important question to ask yourself is when was the last time you thought about how your actions today would affect future generations?

We have all heard about presidents and other politicians being concerned about their legacy, but is your legacy any less important? What do you want to be remembered for, and will your eulogy be fact or fiction? All of us have attended funerals where we knew that the words being spoken did not sound like the person we knew. Then there are those eulogies that as you are listening, you stop and wonder if you could ever leave a legacy like the person who passed away left.

If you could pick one trait to be remembered for, what would it be? For many being a person whose word means something is most important, because after all is said and done your word is all you've got left. How many times have we sat and listened as someone was being described as a person whose word was their bond? Every word that comes out of our mouth should be truth, and if it is, you will be known for it. However, remember all it takes is one time creating a situation where people lose trust in you and you will never get it back.

Will you be remembered as someone who cared about their fellow man? Most of us care about our immediate family and there is a temptation to be singularly focused on those under our own roof, and neglect the fact that we also have a responsibility to our extended family and the greater community around us. While a great part of our legacy is being known as a good father or mother or a good grandparent, it is also just as important that we be known as a good son, daughter, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, or even neighbor. Even if you are a business owner will you be recognized by just the success of your business, or will you also be remembered by how you treated your employees and customers.

What about your relationship with God? Most of us have been to funerals where there was doubt about whether that person had accepted Christ or not. Do you remember how you felt? On the other hand we have been to funerals where there was no doubt that the person being eulogized had lived a Christian life before their fellow man. When the minister stands and says those last words over the shell that once held your soul will those in the room have doubt, or will the entire room be willing to testify that your life exemplified a life filled with the love of Jesus Christ.

While a person’s legacy is a culmination of one’s entire life, it is never too late to create a legacy that you would be proud of. Most of us never think about our legacy in our youth, but those of us who are older find ourselves thinking more about it every day. A legacy is more than just words on a tombstone or a well spoken eulogy; it is about how you lived your life in front of your fellow man. As for me and my house we will serve The Lord, and my goal is to leave a legacy that generations to come will be proud of. What will your legacy be, if you are not proud of it, now is the time to build a legacy that will last for eternity.