What Is Your Legacy?

The Bible is full of stories that teach us important lessons. What will your story be? A lesson on bad decisions? Or of faith and dedication to God’s way?

As we study the Bible, we read the stories of many remarkable people. God recorded these stories to be both inspirational and instructive for us (1 Corinthians 10:6). Some stories are about courage, strength, temptation, healing, love and so on. These characters left behind a legacy of their lives—something for which they are remembered.

Though our lives will not likely be recorded in a future addition to the Bible, we all have a story as well. That story is determined by the way we each live our life. What legacy are we leaving behind? What story does our life tell?

Lessons from Adam and Eve

In the book of Genesis, we see the creation of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve are mostly remembered for their bad decisions. Even though they lived in a totally different generation than we do, we can still learn from their mistakes.

God told them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17), just as He gives us specific rules and commandments to follow in our lives. They obeyed the rule until Satan appeared and deceived them into believing that there would be no consequence of death (Genesis 3:4).

Has this ever happened in your life? We may know that something is wrong, but we question it because our friends or society tells us it is okay. Have you ever had someone influence you to do something you knew was wrong? We can have the best intentions in our mind, but still make wrong choices. “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). Is your story going to be about how you fell to temptation and how the greatest influence on your life was the world around you?

The fiery furnace

Instead of sharing the legacy of Adam and Eve, we should pattern our lives after people who stood strong in God’s way. Some great examples are Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego.

These three Jewish captives in Babylon knew God’s way of life and knew they were only to worship the true God. Even though they were told to worship the golden image, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego held fast to what they believed (Daniel 3:6, 12). Even under the penalty of death—even if it meant being executed in a fiery furnace—they still followed God (verses 15-18).

God intervened and rewarded them by preserving their lives in the fiery furnace (verses 24-25). Their story is a great example of faith, courage and dedication to God’s way. Their example brought a new respect for the true God to Babylon (verse 29).

Is your life story similar to that of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego’s? We don’t usually need to take such a dramatic stand, but have you ever stood up for what you believed in—even in the face of potentially negative consequences?

Jesus Christ expects us to be a positive example: “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). You cannot hide a light. Similarly, if we are portraying a godly lifestyle, people will notice. When we do what is right, we make an impression on those who see us: “Be an example to the believers, in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

We are representing the Kingdom of God and His Church. Are we being good examples of God’s way (2 Corinthians 5:20)?

Choices define who we are! 

We need to examine ourselves and ask whether our legacy will be something we will be proud of and want others to read about. Are we ready to be strong and faithful when society clashes more dramatically with God’s law? Will we be like Adam and Eve? Or will we be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego?

What will your legacy be? How will you be remembered?

To learn more about standing up for what is right, read our blog “Being Different.”

Karissa Carter attends the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, in Los Angeles and Bakersfield, California.