Dear Friend,
Occasionally I receive a response
from one of my Leadership Thought friends, and today I share one of those
thoughts that comes from Brian Rechten. Brian is an advertising special who,
with his wife, Patti, lived in our area for a number of years. Years ago,
he lost his son Tyler in a tragic traffic accident, and yet, through it all, he
has developed a deep understanding of how the grace of God can minister to our
broken hearts.
Brian is also the author
of a commentary on the book of Proverbs as well as the author and producer of
numerous evangelistic tracts.
He wrote to me in response
to my recent Leadership Thought on Leaving a Legacy.
"Tom, as I rest and
recuperate from hip replacement surgery, I inevitably find myself reflecting on
my life and legacy. I think it a good thing to periodically consider heavy
matters like this one. Patti and I know all too well that none of us can make
assumptions on when our lives or the lives of those we love will end.
If we were all to die tomorrow,
what would people say about us? I think about this periodically, because I
see how quickly lives end, and are soon forgotten. Patti and I have seen many
dear friends pass away, people we spent many years being close to. All good
people. Kind, caring, funny, enjoyable people that we cared for deeply.
But when I really think
about them, there are just a handful that have left a permanent and indelible
legacy that has had a Kingdom impact. The point I'm trying to make is that at
the end of the day (end of our lives) the ONLY thing that will matter is what
we did for Jesus.
How well we played golf,
how many Facebook friends we had, even good stuff like how much we loved
our spouses and children . . . even those things won't have a lasting legacy
unless at their core, we exemplified Jesus! Will our spouses, children and
grandchildren continue on in Kingdom service? Will friends, coworkers and
others we spent much time with walk more closely with God because of our
example?
Will Heaven be occupied
with souls we impacted with the message of Salvation through Jesus alone? Or
did we play it safe? Did we just get along? Did we quietly coexist?
Not ruffle too many feathers?
Or did we risk popularity
and pats on the back for being a good person and give all for Kingdom glory?
The only things that will last for eternity are God and people. The businesses
we built, the churches we served, the homes we owned, the cars we drove . . .
it all burns in the end.
I don't want to sound
over-dramatic, but when you get down to the core, what else really matters? Are
we influencing those in our lives to live for Jesus? Are we telling others
about Him? Are we doing the ONLY thing that matters in the end?
In 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Paul
shares some final advice to Timothy. It was the last letter we have
recorded from Paul . . . in a sense his final words before his execution. What
was on the forefront of his mind?
He was encouraging his
friend to give it all for Jesus. I pray I am doing the same. Feebly at times,
imperfectly for sure, and at times halfheartedly, but am I doing my best to
have a Kingdom impact. I pray the answer is yes. I pray I will be remembered
as a devoted follower of Jesus.
That's my prayer for you too! Ask yourself this all-important
question? 'What am I doing for Christ's sake?'"
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