Looking at Your Legacay
October 12, 2008
The current economic crisis and overall political situation have many people focused on the here and now. But have you thought of the “here and now” when you are no longer here? What are you doing with your life? Are you living so that when you are gone you will have left something behind that will positively impact the lives of others? The celebrity Jada Pinkett Smith speaks to this question. Regarding her (and her husband Will’s) work, she said, “What we are hoping to do is build a blueprint that we can leave behind as a legacy of knowledge to share with everybody. We’re hoping to not just leave our art but also our thoughts about education, spirituality, [and] our love for God . . .” Friends, Jada does not share our doctrinal views or faith commitment, but she understands something that so many Christians do not. Life is not about what you own when you leave this world behind you. It is about what you leave behind you when you are gone. Life is about legacy. The apostle Paul spoke to this reality when he wrote, ” . . . Children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2 Cor. 12:14, NASB). Paul was speaking from a financial perspective, but the principle is the same: we are to leave something of substance behind for those who will follow us. Thomas Jefferson left the Declaration of Independence. Martin Luther King, Jr. left a heart of compassion and proof of the power of non-violent social change. Gutzon Borglum left Mt. Rushmore. Friend, what will you leave? Your contribution need not be as grand as the works cited above, but your works - whatever they are - should be evident. That is your legacy. The question is, have you looked at your legacy, lately? -JLNJR (Resource: Jet Magazine, 10/6/08, 43)
