Leaving a Legacy

6-12-16

It’s 12:06 AM on Sunday morning. I’m writing this post on my trusty laptop as my husband is driving us home from a baptism.  Things like this, what we’re doing right now, matter. It’s been an eventful day for several reasons, and I’ve had some things on my mind. Mostly what’s left behind when we’re gone.

Proverbs 4:18 says, “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” We each have one life to live. If we use it wisely, we can make a difference while we are here with the people we touch and indirectly even after we’re gone.

People we touch directly with our faith. My husband is a preacher, and he has been studying with the two people who were baptized tonight for several weeks. He has gladly spent a great deal of time with them. He loves sharing the gospel, and tonight by God’s grace two precious souls joined the kingdom.

Each of us knows people we can share the gospel with. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Sometimes it’s harder, for me at least, to share my faith with friends than strangers. Maybe it’s because of the fear of losing friends. But that doesn’t take away our responsibility to do it, and we should be happy to. I’m not good at talking to people one on one. I do try, but I don’t feel that it is one of my talents. My husband can walk up to somebody in line at Wendy’s and strike up a meaningful conversation about chicken sandwiches with faith thrown in. I feel creepy when I try it.

For that reason, for the last couple years I have been working on my own ministry. I’m writing a Christian fiction novel, and my long term plan is to have it published. If writing is one of the ways God has given me to reach people, then I want to use it to the best of my ability. All of my fiction writing would be geared toward faith lessons in real life situations with obedience to the full plan of salvation. Maybe it won’t work the way I want, but if it does, it would have the potential to impact people I’ll never meet.

People we touch indirectly with our faith. The people baptized tonight are now responsible for the great commission as well. In a way, my husband will also have a hand in the people they reach. Faith is like dominoes. The single domino that knocks its neighbor over caused the next link in the reaction, but if any domino along the way hadn’t been present the chain would stop.

Even people we don’t meet may hear about us. There are people I don’t know, or don’t know well personally, who I respect because of what I hear they do. People in the community who are charitable to neighbors or celebrities who spearhead causes can influence others to do the same.

Think too about prayer. We can pray for anybody. Christians in Spain, nonbelievers in Brazil, senators in Washington, and people who live two streets over. Even though we won’t get to know all these people, we can spiritually fight for them. As you pray, if you have a spare minute I would ask that you pray for me as well. I ask God to allow the use of my writing to be as big or small as He wishes, and now I’m waiting to see what doors He chooses for me.

The point of this life is to reach the next one and take as many with us as possible. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” I Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” If we work in this life, we will see fruit. Lord willing we won’t see all of our fruit, because if our reputation is good we can still have an impact after we finish the race. Nothing that we do for God is worthless, so let’s get out there and work and mean it.

May the Lord bless and keep you,

Heather