Today’s issue of The Point will be excerpts from the message the Lord gave me for the ladies in Hiawassee yesterday.
I ask you, “What will your legacy be?
In 2 Timothy 1: 5 we find these words of Paul to young Timothy, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also..”Scripture immortalizes Lois and Eunice as women whose legacy of faith impacted the succeeding generations.
You and I are creating our legacy every day on the lives of those around us—children, grandchildren, co-workers, spouse, friends, etc. Each one of you will leave a mark on this world and I want us to take just a moment to think through our legacy and the things that make it up.
OUR FAITH: Do you live as if our God is a weak and puny, perhaps a ‘beck-and-call kind of God? Or do you live as if He is the God of Jeremiah 32:17 (Ah, Sovereign Lord, you created the world by your mighty power and outstretched hand. Nothing is too hard for you!!)? Do you have a faith that collapses when the storms of life come along or do you have a faith that is strong and vibrant and trusts God no matter what happens? Is your faith so alive and evident that others look at your life and want the Jesus you have? Our faith is a crucial part of the legacy that we are building.
OUR CHARACTER: Are you known as a godly woman or man who reflects the principles of Christ in their daily life? Do you exhibit modesty in your dress? Does your tongue speak words of kindness and graciousness?
Do you keep your heart clean from gossip and backbiting?
Are you trustworthy in your actions and your words? If someone tells you something and asks you not to repeat it, do you keep that confidence? Are you honest? I fear that few people understand the extent of the epidemic of lying that has infected America. Sometime ago I read a statistic that absolutely broke my heart. It said that over 90% of Americans admit they lie on a regular basis. Good grief!!
I agree with author Max Lucado’s words on this topic in his book “Just Like Jesus”, He says, “Are you in a dilemma, wondering if you should tell the truth or not? The question to ask in such moments is “Will God bless my deceit? Will he, who hates lies, bless a strategy built on lies? Will the Lord, who loves truth, bless the business of falsehoods? Will God honor the career of the manipulator?……. I don’t think so either.”
Do you have the character of Christ? Does your life exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? Love—to all regardless of who they are, what they look like, how they smell? Joy. Peace. Patience—patience in regard not just to circumstances, but especially to people. Oh, how patient the Lord has been with me. How dare I grow impatient and irritable with others. Kindness and goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self Control. How does your life stack up when you examine how a Christian life should look?
When all is said and done, we alone are responsible for the legacy we leave. I choose my actions. I choose how much of God I want. I choose whether the fruit of the spirit is evident in my life. There is a quote by Jerry Bridges that I want to share with you because it made me stop and think about my responsibility for my legacy. Ponder these words:
“It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we’re defeated by this or that sin. No, we’re not defeated, we’re simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress and holiness. Rather, we should us the terms obedience and disobedience.”
Friend, what will your legacy be? As long as you are still breathing on this earth, you have the opportunity to build a spiritual legacy for the coming generations. I challenge you to examine what you are building and give it fully to the Lord.
