Leaving a Legacy for Others

 

What will people say long after you are gone? That is a good question. Your family will remember you for a generation, but will your impact last beyond that?

When I was in college at Fort Scott Community College, I was a mess of inner turmoil and truly self-doubt. One day, I was sitting in a car with the Dean of Students, and he asked me, “What will your life amount to?” “Will you be remembered for anything after you are gone?” Will you have made a significant impact on this world? So few people start out in life with a vision of doing great things for the world. I have always been someone who had a plan or vision of who and what I wanted to be, but I never considered that impact beyond myself.

I genuinely believe no one started life with the ambition of mediocrity; instead, they ended up there because of bad choices or laziness. So, allow me to ask you this question: Will you be remembered for anything after you are gone? Granted, you might not care if anyone remembers you, but that also speaks about how well you lived and ran the race.

Yet, as disciples of the Lord Jesus, we are called to be disciple-makers, pouring our lives into others. We certainly want to glorify our God by setting an example and allowing the Spirit to work grace through us to others. At the heart of “Grace” is the fact that God allows us to change our lives and set a new course, putting the past behind us and making the most of each new day that we live in His love and grace.

We see in Gaius's life that his encounter with Paul and the Gospel changed his life. In 1 Corinthians 1:14, Paul said that he baptized no one in the Corinthian church except Crispus and Gaius. In Acts 19, Gaius was among those taken by the mob in Ephesus, and again in Acts 20 when Paul and company go to Troas.

When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he recorded that he and his students were hosted by Gaius. Through Tertius's hands, Paul wrote, “Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church… greet you.”

Therefore, when John wrote the short letter (3 John), his opening words were, “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.”

What a legacy… Paul poured his life into many young men and women during his ministry. He impacted Timothy, Titus, Silas, Erastus, and Gaius, touching many lives for generations. Their great deeds are recorded in Scripture for us to remember them today.

While your name will not be written in God’s word, every believer’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We work not for our glory but for the glory of the one who has saved us, who will one day say well done, good and faithful servant, enter into your heavenly rest.

Again, what will your life say about you when you are gone?

·         He/she worked really hard.

·         They had a lot of money, stuff, a big house, or a nice car.

·         They had a lot of friends on Facebook or Instagram.

·         Everyone liked them…

Or will people say

·         He/she loved the Lord and they impacted my life?

·         They truly loved the Lord daily and showed His grace to all.

I would remind you of Jesus’ own words, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

There are two kinds of funerals; the first is where everyone attends and mourns the loss of the dead person. They cry and hold onto the good memories portrayed in the pictures around the room. And that is the end…

My favorite kind of funeral is when a true believer in Christ dies, and everyone comes to celebrate a life given to God. People are upbeat, singing and praising God. At these funerals, there is no need for pictures because the people are a testament to the life the person lived, as he or she poured the love of Christ into those around them. This is a life to be celebrated.

Therefore, Paul would write to the Corinthian church.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.  If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Please take a few minutes today, and maybe every day, to ask yourself these questions: “What is my priority in life?” They ask, “How can I make a lasting impact on the Kingdom that will have eternal rewards for those you touch.”

I pray that God will use you for His Kingdom, and you will be remembered for the lives you touched. 

In His Grace,

P.C.

 

Generous Hope

Goal: Hope Through You
Theme: Generosity
Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ (9/10)

Hey Fellow Pilgrims,

Today has one of the highest difficulty ratings through the 21 days. Why? Because we’re talking about generosity. But don’t quit...keep reading and see why this day may be the most crucial day of all in the 21 days. 

First, have you noticed how generosity is right in the middle of the Easter story? Look at the most famous passage in all of the Bible, John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Notice how generosity is embedded in the character of God and is central to the Easter message. Now, here’s a huge “aha!” moment for you in this adventure. Generosity is central to the Easter story, but is also unlocks how deeply we receive the message. Look at what Jesus says in Luke 6:38:

Give and it will be given to you…for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.

So let me ask you a question…Do you need more hope in your life? 

If so, the best thing you can do is receive God’s free gift of grace. Then the next step? Start sharing hope generously with others. Sometimes the best way to experience hope is to bring hope to others. If you’ve ever been on a mission trip then you know how much of a blessing being a blessing can be. 

So here’s your chance to put this into action. How can you bring hope with your generosity this Easter season? Here are four starter ideas:

1. Make a financial donation to a non-profit making an impact in our community.
2. Set up a recurring donation to the church to support our outreach and missions.
3. Bless a family in need - maybe a single mom, widow, or someone who lost their job.
4. Take those items you were about to sell on Facebook Marketplace and bless another family with them.

As you give hope, remember God has a way of bringing more hope to your heart. John Bunyan illustrated it best when he said, “There was a man, they called him mad. The more he gave, the more he had.”