Recalibrate Your Lifeਨਮੂਨਾ

Leaving a Godly Legacy

In the same psalm that Moses says it’s wise to number our days, he uses two metaphors to drive home the brevity of life:

You sweep [the generations] away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers. (Psalm 90:5–6)

The mindset is this: a generation comes, builds its buildings, and achieves some feats. But as soon as everything is built (sometimes even before the work is finished), it’s as though a flood comes and washes it all away.

Using another analogy, Moses says each generation is like grass—sprouting anew one day, withered and gone the next.

If you’ve ever stood on the ocean shore observing the tide, you’ve probably caught the vision Moses is communicating. Humans and all their earthly achievements are like those huge, grand sandcastles—impressive for a moment, but as soon as the tide comes in, they’re swept along with whatever other rubble surrounded them—seaweed, shells, dead jellyfish, ocean debris. Before long, you’d never know any of it was there. All that’s left is the foundation.

The question we all wonder is, Am I building sandcastles that will be knocked down and forgotten forever once I die? Am I writing my name on water? Or am I living in a way that will make a permanent mark? Is there a sure foundation I can build on—something I can do or be that will never get swept away?

Scripture contends that our lives matter, and each of us can serve as a link from one generation to the next. When we do, we leave a positive, godly legacy that makes an eternal imprint.

The key? Remember that legacy is about God and His name, not about preserving us and our name.

Legacy Isn’t Just for Later

When thinking about legacy, we can make several mistakes. One is to overemphasize biological progeny. Even if we don’t have our “own” children, we can invest in those younger than us.

Another mistake is to overemphasize material belongings, thinking only in terms of wills and estates, especially finances and physical assets.

A third mistake relates to age and time. While younger, we tend to overemphasize the future—thinking we’ll get around to doing the things that matter and will make a long-term impact later, after we’re done with the more urgent business of working to make money, support ourselves and our family, and so on.

Likewise, when older, we may “bench ourselves,” thinking our best years are over, or that it’s time to kick back, relax, and enjoy some “me time.” Instead, the best may be yet to come—but only if we view our time as God’s, not our own.

Bottom line: Leaving a legacy is lifelong. Whether you’re 16 or 60, your legacy has begun. Legacy is built based on how you spend your time (years, days, hours, and minutes), talent, and resources across your entire life.

We make a grave error if we wait to think later about our legacy. The Bible warns against presumption. We should never even assume we’ll have a “later.”

A word to parents: The legacy you leave your children begins when they’re born; don’t wait until they’ve flown the coop to try to make a lasting mark. You’ll have already done so. Seek to parent so that you won’t have regrets later.

Recalibrating Your Time and Activities

Each of us is on earth for a purpose, and God is the one who establishes our legacy. To truly have a lasting impact, we need to continually recalibrate our perspective of our time and our resources (tangible and intangible) so that we are living in light of eternity.

Whether we are still running marathons or are severely limited physically, even bedridden, God wants to use each of us to make a lasting impact. In His economy, it’s not about quantity but quality. He has the power to multiply the effect of any small effort made with an attitude of submission to Him.

Whether you’re young or old, asking endgame questions about how you spend your time and energy can help ensure that you leave a godly legacy. About any activity or opportunity, ask:

• Why am I doing this?
• Is there some other way God is calling me to spend my time, effort, or money?
• Is there any way I can do this same activity but with more of a God-centered focus?
• Am I loving God and others in this (fulfilling the two Great Commandments)?