As we get older, I think it’s a normal thing for all of us to start to think about our legacy. How will I be remembered? What will I be known for? What difference will I have made in the time I’ve spent here on earth?
It’s a real struggle for many people.
But should it be for the Christian?
Don’t get me wrong, we all want to make a difference. We all invest our lives in something, and that carries significance. Work. Family. Church. Hobbies. Other interests. We all want to be known and remembered for something.
But for what?
Jesus gave us the answer already.
I was thinking about this a lot on Sunday as it related to the sermon I heard that morning, and the root Scripture thereof.
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples.
If you have love for one another.
As we struggle daily with work, school, family… whatever issues we may be facing… wondering if it’s worth it. Wondering if any of it makes a difference long-term. Wondering if it affects what others think about us, or how they’ll remember us.
We find ourselves with misplaced concerns.
Jesus boils our real legacy down to one thing.
Love.
Perhaps we should stop worrying so much about everything else, and start concerning ourselves more with what ensuring we’re known as He intends.
[…] A little over a week ago, I was reflecting on a message I’d heard about “loving like Jesus”. As we worry about how we’re known in this life… what our legacy looks like… there’s only one thing that should really matter to the Christian about how we’re known. […]