Legacy
“Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:5-7
I always ask my college freshman what they were known for in high school. Some were known for being class president, valedictorian, quarterback, or prom queen. Others say they weren’t known for anything; they look back on high school and just feel mediocre.
I wish someone would have asked me before I was a teenager what legacy I would leave in my school. Looking back, I wasted a lot of time thinking about boys, winning debate tournaments, and trying to get better grades then everyone else. If I could go back in time, I would change that legacy.
I would have spent more time building life-long friendships, encouraging people in their relationship with Jesus, loving my parents and sister, and being a blessing to my teachers. Maybe I could have been known for kindness and love instead of competition and flirting.
Maybe I could have been known for caring for the outcast and building community with the unlovable. Maybe I could have been known for starting community service projects. Maybe I could have been known for serving others.
Now, I know better. When I leave my community, I want to be known for loving Jesus and radically loving other people. I want to be known for encouragement and teaching and writing words to bless people.
In the book of Joshua, Joshua asks the Israelites to make a memorial to God’s faithfulness on the stones from the bottom of the Jordan River. When a future generation asked what they meant, the Israelites would declare them as evidence of the Lord’s power and faithfulness. What a legacy!
What do you want to be known for? What will you be known for? What memorial is your life building to the Lord? When people ask, will your life be a declaration of God’s power and faithfulness?
What do you think you’ll be known for?