Legacy is more than what we leave at the end of a life—it’s something we’re building each day we live and breathe. True legacy is made of the things that outlive us.
How do we build our lives in a way that leads others to conclude we finished well? That we completed the course of our life, remaining faithful to what we said really matters? How do we fortify ourselves, our minds, and our attention span against drift?
I look to someone I think pulled it off. As a Pastor and Christian communicator, the Bible is a natural go-to for me.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
This is Apostle Paul’s final letter to his young protégé, Timothy. Paul is near death and he knows it. He wants to make sure his parting words are something of substance.
He’s saying:
I fought when it was difficult…
I put one foot in front of the other even though it was long and there was no end, no victory in sight.
And while everything didn’t go the way I might have preferred, I didn’t quit. I didn’t abandon anything. In short, he says, I stayed. That’s faithfulness.
Much of what we do is unseen. Others may see the results of what you do, but they don’t notice that you do it. You may not SEE someone love others more than themselves, but you see someone who listens instead of winning the argument.
You can’t SEE someone choose integrity, but you can see an employee who does the right thing when no one is checking. You can’t always SEE someone forgive, but you see relationships that don’t fall apart. You don’t always SEE someone pray, but you see the peace that doesn’t make sense.
You might not SEE someone stay faithful in reading the Bible, but you see wisdom show up at just the right time. You can’t SEE someone fight temptation, but you see a life that didn’t derail.
That seems like faithfulness to me. Remaining true to what we say really matters. What would compel a man whose life was marked by beatings, imprisonment, rejection and ridicule to keep on the path that resulted in so much pain, so much turmoil?
The answer to that question appears in his next line:
“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)
He knew there was more. And he says it’s not just for him, but for everyone who lives their lives according to God-honoring principles.
Guard yourself against the ease of drifting from what really matters. Refuse comparison. Resist bitterness and return to God’s perspective. Legacy is lost more often through distraction than it is through disaster.