On one of my trips to the US I saw right in front of a church the statue of Washington. On it was written “The Father of his country, first President of the United States of America. Here was a man who had a couple of firsts in his life – first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his country men. This man no doubt left a great legacy.
Many people live to leave a vacancy but only a few leave a legacy. The way to be remembered and live even after one dies is to leave a legacy; to create memories that are worth reading or writing about. Leaving a legacy is how you extend the work that you do or you’ve done beyond your physical life on earth.
What legacy do you want to leave behind? By the time your life on earth is over as it surely one day would, what will you like to be remembered for? What will you remember yourself for? If you have not thought about this before now then it’s time to intentionally consider your legacy.
The man we remember today are not any special than any of us. They just had a focus to make a difference that endures. One of my prayers during my thirties was for God to use me to start something that would become greater than me. Something that would be running and even become bigger when I’m no longer involved with it. That prayer was answered as sometime in 2005 I was inspired to begin a prayer meeting with just 4 persons. We met to pray for an hour during lunch and really it felt so good. I was excited but I never knew where this was going to lead. One thing though I was committed to it. A few months after this it grew and became a program that had filled the space we were using so we relocated and it grew so more before I was asked to go take over some other work.
The good thing is other committed leaders came in to oversee this program. Over time it became a major flagship program in the city attracting thousands of attendees. That programs still holds today and still waxing string after over a decade of existence. I must say that this makes me very proud indeed.
When you begin things that outlive you, you create generational blessing.
Friends, you are here to add to what’s been passed to you so you can pass it to others in a bigger, brighter and better form. When you do so you are leaving a legacy.
So let me conclude this by pointing what building legacy would require
A vision for a future where you won’t live. What kind of life do you desire for others. What future do you see ahead. Abraham in the Bible saw ahead of his generation just like Moses. Martin Luther King envisioned a time when people would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Is that evident today? Maybe not but we are closer with high level talks about diversity and inclusion. Things are changing. As I write this piece we have a woman as the Vice President of the most powerful nation and she is not white.
Commitment to the course. Nothing lasts if we do not give it the attention required. It takes commitment to build a legacy we can be happy about.
Genuine interest in other people. People are the kegs to our legacy. They are throbbed who will carry the dream one when we are gone. So it’s wise to build people around your dream. I always like to say, people make things happen.
Selfless service. Men who build legacies do not think much of themselves. They are always what to do to make the world a better place. They are not out to get the nest if what the world has, they give their best and then some more. You need to get out of your way so can see further to do better.
