My Legacy!
Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.
My Rabbi, (Rabbi Michael Vowell) asked the question, “What is your legacy?”
Mmmm???
My dictionary defines legacy as: • a thing handed down by a predecessor: and then gives an example; the legacy of centuries of neglect. So, it is a “thing” – someone or something left behind – to someone or something that came after. According to the example, this thing could be good, bad, or both, probably somewhat dependent upon the receiver’s memory and application of carrying the “thing” on.
If I apply all this to myself, my question would be, “What do I want to be remembered for and what is the example I wish to hand down, with the hope ‘my thing’ will be carried on?”
What is my legacy? It’s a GREAT question! But in order to answer, I HAD TO change it just a little… what is my DESIRED legacy?
Almost 40 years ago (I know this because Jason will soon be 40 years old, and he was just a little guy!) I was born again. I declared myself dependent upon the sacrifice of Jesus for all the sins of my life that would be the death of me. He declared me His and blew into me His breath of life. He baptized me with His Holy Spirit, who took up residence in my life… in my NEW life… to seal me, identify me, and train me up as the child of God.
He is my legacy! And… my desired legacy is to leave no other legacy than Him. Though I cannot GIVE Jesus to anyone else, for He requires a personal, face to face, chosen, relationship with each and every person He comes for, (Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20) I desire the memory/ the legacy I leave to be, “OPEN YOUR DOOR!”.
For the first 30 years of my life, I was much like Israel was… Hosea tell us they only needed God when trouble they had created and could no longer fix came upon them. Like them, and seemingly the people of this world God has given us, my deeds would not allow them (me) to return to their (my) God (the God who created each and every one in His own image). For a spirit of infidelity is within them (me), And they (I) do not know the Lord. Hosea 5:4
God’s only recourse, because of the His unconditional love and His gift of Free Will (the absolute freedom to CHOOSE His way, His truth, and His life), was to leave them to discover that the were doomed without Him. “I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their distress they will search for Me.” Hosea 5:15
But God… didn’t leave them completely alone… He sent/sends His word (through prophets, and saints, and Jesus – who became flesh and dwelt among us)
So God’s word, which goes out of His mouth; will not return to Him empty, Without accomplishing what He desires, And without succeeding in the purpose for which He sent it. Isaiah 55:11
God said to them and says to us… you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will let Myself be found by you,’ declares the Lord, Jeremiah 29:13-14
Thirty nine plus years ago I said, “When You said, ‘ Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, I shall seek Your face, Lord .” Psalm 27:8
And my legacy was written!
But still, even in my “older years”, I have more to do to insure my legacy will shine and not be compromised by moments of the past spirit of infidelity raising its ugly head.
Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet ; but one thing I do : forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
The Mission of Beth El Shalom says it well… to inspire all people to wholeheartedly follow Jesus.
I pray, my legacy… the one thing I asked from the Lord and that I seek… will inspire those who remember me to ask and seek the same… That they too may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of their life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.