When I was younger and more self-centered I used to assume that the world might pause for a moment when I finally leave this earth. Now that I'm older and a bit more seasoned I realize that the vast majority of people who lived before us are completely forgotten about. All that remains of most is a slab of stone with some dates on it.
There are about a million articles written about living life to the fullest and making the dash between your birthdate and death worthwhile. While I agree with that, I'd like to turn your attention instead to focusing on the years after you are gone. I'm talking about your legacy. I'm talking about what you leave behind.Every person says they want to be remembered but few ever stop to think about how that can be done. When we're gone no one will care how we dressed, what we drove, what neighborhood our house was in, or how much we made per year. The things we typically fill our minds and hearts with every day don't even matter in the grand scheme of things.
So what does matter? What kinds of things can we do to make an impact on this world long after we are gone? I jotted down a few things.
1. Come up with a world changing invention
2. Trigger an important event
3. Be exceptionally talented above all others
4. Get a platform with a large public audience
I suppose most if not all the people who ever read this will not fall into one of those four categories. Luckily, there are other ways of outliving your life that almost anyone can do. Try these for example:
1. Train up the next generation to follow God.
If you want to know the future of society visit a public school. They are our future. This is why there is always a battle for what is taught in our schools. What we fill our childrens heads with today will manifest itself tomorrow. That can be a scary thought.
You may not be able to take on an entire school board but you can make a difference in the lives of the little ones you have contact with. The Old Testament was absolutely clear that the ways of God must be taught to each upcoming generation. This is not the job of the school board! It'd be nice if they could reinforce good values and morals but don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen.
2. Write
How do you speak to someone in a future generation to come who you will never get a chance to meet? Make video recordings and bury them in the Anarctic ice? Maybe but there aren't many flights headed that way- fyi
We could do it the same way Biblical authors and Jews did thousands of years ago-write. Writing thoughts down on paper can enable you to speak directly to people you will never have an opportunity to meet in person.
If I could challenge the church with one thing in which they could bring about change for years to come it would be to write. We need authors, screen writers, and script writers with a willingness to flood our land with the positive good news of Jesus Christ.
3. Focus on actions that have an eternal value
Anytime you have a part in planting a seed of faith or explaining the good news of the gospel you ARE making an eternal impact. Anytime you stop running the rat race and start producing works for eternity you are making an eternal impact. Whenever you help those who cannot help themselves nor pay you back, you are making an eternal impact.
We have been called to stand out and be a shining light in our dark world. The question we must ask ourselves is how bright are we shining?
If we never stop to think about the things that are most important-eternal things, what was the purpose of our being here? If we live for ourselves, when we die we leave it all behind. If we live in the light of eternity our actions will live well beyond our time on planet earth.
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