Leaving A Legacy

“Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”

Don “Pops” Rogers went ahead of us to heaven this past month and celebrated Thanksgiving with His precious Jesus. His “promotion” has gripped my heart with grief because I loved how he helped me see the world. Pops was always teaching others a biblical worldview by sharing stories of encounters with friends and strangers in our city. Armed with a cup of coffee in his right hand and his left hand on your shoulder, he was always ready to encourage others to walk with Jesus.

Part of the legacy Pops left in my heart is the importance of boldness in directly communicating the power and love of our God. While his approach was not nuanced, it was effective in challenging the hearts of many people who had a conversation with him. I appreciate how Don felt the urgency of the need of others to surrender to Jesus. One of my favorite things to do was to listen to how he connected with strangers outside Safeway, bought them a cup of coffee and asked them, “How’s your walk with Jesus?” So many times the person broke down into tears and asked for prayer, realizing their need of Jesus.

Pondering the meaning of “legacy.”

The dictionary defines legacy as: “an amount of money or property left to someone in a will.”   I certainly hope that when I die I am leaving more than money and property for others. When I think of legacy, the last thing that comes to mind are material possessions I will gift to others when I go to heaven.

Another website says, “When a person dies, the mark the individual left on the world represents that individual's legacy. ... It is about the richness of the individual's life, including what that person accomplished and the impact he or she had on people and places. Ultimately, the story of a person's life reflects the individual's legacy.”

Billy Graham said:,

“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money… but rather a legacy of character and faith.”

Legacy doesn’t imply a short-term impact but influencing culture and the lives of others in a way that generations of people are benefited.

For me, legacy has to do with imparting what you carry inside you to others who will be changed by it and carry it themselves."

Leaving a Legacy of Honor.

Part of my legacy will revolve around helping others live out the biblical command to honor one another. Honor is a core value for me and wherever I go, I try to model it, teach it, point it out, and invite others into it. Honor is one of the languages of love and honor is always present when blessing occurs. I am raising up generations who will recognize the value of honor and their lives will be changed because they are walking in the economy of the Kingdom of God.

While there are other pieces of the legacy that I am leaving IN others, the fact that I am called to impart the value of honor and blessing to others is clear in my mind. This means I must be intentional in walking it out, teaching others about it, and challenging others to experience this aspect of living life to the fullest.

Intentionality and Consistency are necessary to build a legacy.

Without being intentional our legacy will be muted and diminished. It was once said:

“Whatever legacy you want to leave, please start doing it now (it’s now or never).”

None of us know how much time we have left here on earth. If you wait until you are on your deathbed to pass on pieces of your legacy, it may never happen. Don Rogers would consistently point to our short time on earth by saying, “This life is just a cup of coffee.”

Nor does one leave a legacy built on one heroic act. Legacy is built on consistently carrying a value and imparting it to others.

Pericles said,

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

What do you want your legacy to be?

You get to decide the legacy that you leave. Will you take a few minutes and ponder these questions:

What legacy do you want to leave?

Who are you intentionally weaving this legacy within?

What will you do between now and the end of the calendar year to take steps this direction?

“Please think about your legacy because you are writing it every day” (Gary Vaynerchuk)

I look forward to seeing all of you this coming Sunday, Dec. 19th at 10:00 a.m. in the Dome as I share the message on this last Sunday of Advent. 

You can also live stream our 10:00 a.m. service on Facebook and YouTube.

If you missed last week's message Advent 2021 #3 "Good News of Great Joy" (Pastor Carlos  Palacios of Christo Salva) click here.

Need encouragement?  You can receive a word of encouragement each day. Text the word Encourage to 530.296.3689. You will be added to the list to receive an encouraging scripture or quote from me each day that is sent right to your phone.

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