LEGACY
Death is
never the last word in the life of a…man. When a man leaves this world, be he righteous or unrighteous, he leaves something in the
world. He may leave something that will grow and spread like a cancer or a
poison, or he may leave something like the fragrance of perfume or a blossom of
beauty that permeates the atmosphere with blessing.
(Sarah
Edwards in writing to her daughter Esther at the death of her husband,
Jonathan, said), “My Very Dear Child, What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a
dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod,
and lay our hands on our mouths! The
Lord has done it. He has made me adore
his goodness, that we had him so long.
But my God lives; and he has my heart.
O what a legacy my husband, and your father, has left us! We are all given to God; and there I am, and
love to be. Your ever
affectionate mother, Sarah Edwards.”
Edna Gerstner
Jonathan and Sarah: An Uncommon Union, Soli Deo Gloria, p. 223.
Your children
should love the Lord, work hard, and experience the joy of trusting God. More
important than leaving your children an inheritance is leaving them a spiritual
heritage. If you left your children money they didn't need, and if they were
thinking correctly, wouldn't they give it to God anyway? Then why not give it to God yourself, since
He entrusted it to you?
Randy Alcorn
Excerpted from The Treasure Principle by
Randy Alcorn © 2002 by Eternal Perspective Ministries, p. 70-71.
When you
leave this world, will you be known as one who accumulated treasures on earth
that you couldn't keep? Or will you be recognized as one who invested treasures
in heaven that you couldn't lose?
Randy Alcorn
Excerpted from The Treasure Principle by
Randy Alcorn © 2002 by Eternal Perspective Ministries, p. 79.
Immortality
lies not in the things you leave behind, but in the people your life has
touched.
Author Unknown
Passing this saving message on to people who will be
here after we’re gone is the most important thing we can do during our
lifetime. Our legacy, our reputation, our heritage is really unimportant… But
if we can teach, train, and disciple men and women to trust in, love, and
proclaim the message of Christ and him crucified, then
we’ve accomplished something worthwhile.
Joshua
Harris
Tabletalk, April
2008, p. 71, Used by Permission.
Consider the
impact of one godly father, Jonathan Edwards.
This famous early American pastor, writer, and one-time president of
Princeton University had 11 children. Of his known male descendants:
More than 300
became pastors, missionaries or theological professors;
120 were
professors at various universities;
110 became
attorneys;
60 were
prominent authors;
30 were
judges;
14 became
presidents of universities or colleges;
3 served in
the U.S. Congress;
1 became vice
president of the United States.