Leaving a Legacy

The topic of this particular post is one that has weighed heavily on my heart since September 2010. I wrote this back in November 2010 and posted it on Facebook, but I wanted to share it with you guys in the blogging world, as well. You know, if anyone is actually reading this.... :)

So, here it is....

I'm going to start out with some questions.

1.What does your life mean to you?
2.What is your main goal/desire in life?
3.How do you want to be remembered when this life is over and done?

Hopefully, I have stirred up your mind and have you thinking deeply about these questions. If I don't, you can just pretend for my sake. That was my goal, by the way. :)

I'll continue by answering the first question for you. (Keep in mind, these are MY thoughts, so I am not answering these questions for each individual person that will read this. I suggest that you go and find out what your own personal answers are.)

So, back to the questions!

Question #1: What does your life mean to you?

~~My life means absolutely NOTHING to me if my Lord and Savior is not in it.~~

John 15:5~ "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for **apart from Me you can do nothing.**
Why would my life mean anything to me, if I could do nothing? I praise the Lord that He opened my eyes to this verse! Otherwise, I would have just been coasting through life with absolutely no meaning. Because of this verse, my life has meaning to me. It tells me that if God is in my life, I can bear fruit.

Fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23~ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Philippians 1:11~ having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Now, why should I care if I bear fruit or not?

John 15:8~ "My father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples."

I want to glorify God by my actions! That's really all there is to it.

~~So, to me, my life means nothing without God. I want God to be my focus, so that I may bring glory to Him. The Lord is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29) and I want Him to consume my life!~~

Question #2: What is your main goal/desire in life?

Well, my main goal pretty much goes right along with question #1. But, I'll go into a little bit more detail about it.

~~My main goal is to bring glory to God.~~

Ephesian 2:10~ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

So, we were created for good works, right? Good works do NOT earn salvation, by the way. Good works should be a result of our salvation. But, they do NOT save us. Just to make that clear. :)

Matthew 5:16~ "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

This verse talks about the reason we're created for good works. "....that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

~~ I want to live for Christ. And, I want it to be obvious that I live for Christ.~~

~~ Now, my heart's desire should also be for other people's salvation.~~

Romans 10:1~ Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.

I can't save people or cause them to grow in Christ. But, I can plant seeds by telling people about God!

I Corinthians 3:7~ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, **but God who causes the growth.**

I should be constantly telling people about God and all of His works. I want to be able to tell other generations about God! I want to have the same attitude that David had when he wrote Psalm 71.

Psalm 71:17-18~ O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, **until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come.**
Psalm 26:7~ That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving and declare all Your wonders.
~~ I need to be diligent to fulfill my purpose of telling people about God. ~~

Alright, I'm almost done....

Question #3: How do you want to be remembered when this life is over and done?

Hmmm.....

Thomas Jefferson is known for being the 3rd president of the United States (of course) and also for being the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Edison is known as the inventor of the "carbon-button transmitter" and the incandescent lightbulb. Benjamin Franklin is known for inventing the Bifocal glasses and the lightning rod. Elvis Presley is known as the King of Rock and Roll. :)

These are all really great things. (Maybe not the latter.....) But, I simply want to be remembered as a person who always had something to say about the Lord, who never let a conversation end without mentioning God, who really lived for Christ.

~I want to leave a legacy of faith.~