A legacy is something that is passed on to future generations. This month marks ten years since my mother met her Savior face to face causing me to think a lot about her and her legacy. People remember her as a kind, soft spoken pastor’s wife and an amazing educator. She always exhibited love, even to those we might deem unlovable. As a wife and mother, she faithfully cared for us. She prayed endlessly for us as she spent time daily in the word. As a grandmother, she loved fiercely and prayed fervently for her grandbabies. Her commitment to her Savior was evident to all who knew her. Her legacy is one of prayer, love, grace, and beauty all stemming from Jesus.

As I’ve thought about her legacy, I am brought to a place of asking about my own legacy. What am I leaving behind that is being passed on to future generations? Reading through 1 Kings 15, we see descriptions of legacies that have been left by some of its kings. 

“Nevertheless, the heart of Asa was wholly true to the Lord all his days.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭14‬a 

“David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”

1 Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬

“He (Baasha) did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭15‬:‭26‬ 

Life is fleeting, but what we do and how we live will be remembered. We will all leave a legacy of some kind. Will we be remembered for complaining, being ungrateful, just getting by, putting ourselves before anything and anyone else? Will we be like Baasha doing “what was evil in the sight of the Lord” and causing others to sin? Or, will we be remembered like Asa, “true to the Lord all his days”, and like David who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”? While my mother isn’t in the Bible, I have to ask if we will also be remembered like her, living a life of prayer, love, grace, and beauty stemming from Jesus? 

When our lives are over I hope we will be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ I pray our legacies will be, “(your name) fought the good fight, (your name) finished the race, (your name) kept the faith.”

Dear God, help us remember that what we do in life does matter and will be remembered by those we leave behind. Let us live lives that leave legacies of love, grace, truth, and faithfulness.