Most people want to be remembered, especially a certain way. What will they say about us at our funerals? Will we have a lasting impact on future generations? Will we leave our mark? What we don’t realize is that it is usually the small, every day things which are the most important. A friend just shared that she learned as a counselor at summer teen camp last week that we need to dream big, but live small. The dream of reaching thousands is huge, and not unrealistic, but it starts with one person, being intentional in our interactions. And we never know who that person might be that is most influenced.
Psalm 102:18 New American Standard Bible 1995
This will be written for the generation to come,
That a people yet to
be created may praise the Lord.
Deuteronomy 31:19 New American Standard Bible 1995
Now therefore, write this song for yourselves, and
teach it to the sons of
1 Corinthians 10:11 New American Standard Bible 1995
Now these things happened to them as an example,
and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the
ages have come.
Psalm 78:6-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
That the generation to come might know, even the
children yet to be born,
That they may arise and tell them to
their children,
That
they should put their confidence in God
And not forget the works
of God,
But keep His
commandments,
And not
be like their fathers,
A stubborn and
rebellious generation,
A generation that did
not prepare its heart
And whose spirit was
not faithful to God.
The people in the Bible did not know that their story would ever make it in a book, that people thousands of years later would know what they did or learn from their experiences. They may have acted differently if they had. With the exception of Abraham, most had no clue that they were part of a bigger story. They were just living day to day like us. Some of those stories are positive and inspiring, while others show a good example of what not to do.
The point is that every person has a story, an experience to share, a testimony to witness to the goodness of God, but most don’t realize it, or think that it is not important. We all make an impact for eternity. The question is what kind of impact will that be? Given the option, what would we choose to share?
This week as you pray, write a letter to those who will come after you. Write a little bit each day; it could be a paragraph, sentence, or just a thought. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or profound. Just think about what you want to pass along to those who come after you. What kind of spiritual legacy do you want to leave? Not only will this help you become more intentional, but it will also help clarify what God means to you, which will in turn stir up genuine praise and thanksgiving.
Prayer points taken from Praying Through Adversity by Jennifer Kennedy Dean.
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