Posts Tagged ‘Legacy’

Yesterday was the last day of the 2009 Hispanic Senior Adult Summit.  About 170 Hispanic Senior Adults registered and gathered at the First Mexican Baptist Church of San Antonio for 3 days of fellowship, worship, training and fun.  It was a refreshing time!  I enjoyed spending time with this great group of hermanos, so full of life and love for God and each other.  Many of them have known each other since their youth!!!  Our lives were truly blessed as we served them (Isn’t that always the case?).

The theme for the Summit was “A Cheering Cloud” and was based on Hebrews 12:1-2.  Through seminars, music and sermons, seniors were challenged to serve as witnesses to and supporters of those generations that follow them; to live a legacy worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On Tuesday morning, during the devotional time, participants reflected on the subject of legacy.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor.”  What are we transmitting to today’s generation?  What are they receiving from us?  If I died today, what would I like to be remembered for?

When a trainer is teaching youth how to improve and give their best, he may use three main techniques.  First he says, “Others have done, and you can do it too.”  Second he says, “Just think how much it will help you physically to do this.”  And then he says, “Now, look a others - see how they do it.”

The author of Hebrews in chapter 12 verses 1 & 2 uses these same techniques to encourage us in the Christian race. 

First he says, look at the winners (v. 1a).  The great cloud of witnesses was presented in Hebrews.  They are the heroes of the faith.  Now, the idea was not that these men and women are in heaven watching us, like in a stadium, as we run the race.  The word “witness”, in this context, does not mean “spectators”. 

A martyr is “a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle.”  And the New Testament word for “witness” comes directly from the Greek word for “martyr”.  These people, the cloud of witnesses, the heroes of the faith, are not witnesses of what we are doing; but are giving witness to us that God will help us finish the race.

What a beautiful legacy!  Telling others, “Others have done it, you can do it too.  I have done it, you can do it too.  The Lord is with you!  You are not alone.”  When was the last time you shared these words with a younger Christian?

Secondly, he says look at yourself (v. 1b).  Athletes used to wear training weights to help them prepare for events.  No athlete would compete using the weights since they knew they would only slow them down.  Also, too much weight would affect the runners endurance. 

As part of the legacy that we leave those that follow us, it is necessary that we get to the point of sharing with others where we have failed and encourage them not to make our same mistakes.  For this, we must be honest about our weaknesses, and have a heart full of love and compassion for those younger than us.

Lastly, he says look at Christ (v. 2).  Why must we look at Christ?  Because he is our supreme example, and He is the only one that can make it possible for us to finish the race.  

Some say: “It is not how you finish that matters, but how you live.”  This I heard said of Ray Combs, the host of the show Family Feud from 1988 to 1994, who committed suicide in 1996 after several business failures.  He had done many good works during his life, and somehow they were supposed to eclipse the manner of his death.  Others say: “It is not how you live that matters, but how you finish.”  Have you ever heard someone say this?  “I’ll live my life however I want to.  I’ll make Christ my Lord when I’m old or about to die, and then do the right thing.”

These two ways of thinking are wrong.  It is equally important how we live and how we finish.  Why?  Because how we live and how we finish is part of our legacy to those that come behind us.

We must constantly, every minute of our lives, point others through Christ through our words and our actions.  He is the supreme example and has all the power to help us finish the race victoriously.   

Louis Pasteur, the pioneer of immunology, lived in a time where thousands of people were dying of rabies every year.  Pasteur had worked on a vaccine for years.  When he was about to begin experimenting on himself, a nine year old boy, Joseph Meister, was mauled by a rabid dog.  The boy’s mom asked Pasteur to experiment on her son, but he struggled with the decision.  Experimenting on Joseph involved significant personal risk since he didn’t have a license to practice medicine and he could face criminal charges if something went wrong.  But after seeking counsel from his colleagues, Pasteur proceeded to inject Joseph with the vaccine.  After 10 days, the boy lived.  

Decades later, among all the things that Pasteur could have asked to be put on his headstone, he only asked for three words: Joseph Meister Lived.  All he wanted to be remembered for was that Joseph Meister lived.

Truly, the greatest legacy we can leave behind is those that live eternally, those whose lives are transformed because of us.

I know that most of us are not senior adults, but without a doubt, we are all aging everyday and everyday are getting closer to our death.  With that in mind, what do you want to be remembered for the most?  We will all leave a legacy.  The question is, what kind would it be?