Building a True Legacy

If your life ended today, how would you be remembered by those who know you?

Close family and friends may have a few nice things to say about you, but have you built a legacy to be remembered and cherished... something for others to grow and continue to build on?

Worldly legacy building is all about achieving bigger and better, leaving behind inheritances, trust funds, and materialistic goods. The tangible. Once the money is gone and the stuff is worn out, what's left that you will be remembered by?

If you look closely (and honestly) at the desires of your heart, it may reveal a bit about how you will be remembered and whether or not it's an example that would be pleasing to the Lord for others. If the desires of your heart look selfish and are more about yourself than others, your legacy may not be so great either.

What we stand for and represent through our lives and relationships can (and will) speak volumes about our relationship with the Lord. Our legacy should speak "faithful servant", revealing the fruits of the spirit... not a selfish drone that has a hand out, but nothing to give.

Do your coworkers know you are a respectable and honorable person that refuses to alter from your beliefs, regardless of how juicy the gossip is at the water cooler? Does your spouse know without a shadow of a doubt that you are faithful and true to every vow spoken on your wedding day, or do lustful eyes wander and friends hear about every mistake he or she makes? Do your children know that you are a praying, encouraging, responsible, planning, loving, teaching parent that seeks the Lord for guidance in raising them, or do you take each day on a whim and just hope they turn out okay with the casual effort you've put in? Do your friends truly trust in you because of your honesty and integrity, or are you just a convenient hang out person with the latest news? Do acquaintances and even strangers see you from afar as cold, distant, and stingy, or are you loving, hard working, and giving without a selfish motive?

Obviously there will be some in our lives that know us better than others, but as a whole, how we are known now is our opportunity to set an example for the love we are given through Christ. Newsflash... It's never too late to start over or build on what we're already doing! It doesn't have to involve shoving a preaching finger in someone's face. Rather, through your words, actions, and daily life, you can be a positive example, building a legacy that gives God glory for what He has revealed of Himself through you.

With your Spouse:
Pray with and for your spouse. Listen more than you speak. Support openly. Encourage often. Edify, uplift, and honor through your words and actions. Communicate. Be honest. Be as sensitive to minor needs as you are to major needs. Keep private and sacred what should be private and sacred. Show I love you as often as you speak it. Give affection and hold hands. Little gestures make large strides in a marriage. Be the wife or husband (in all aspects) that you want your child to marry.

With your Children (while they're young):
Pray with and for your children. Teach them the ways of the Lord before someone else teaches them the ways of the world. Practice what you preach. Speak and show I love you often. Use scripture whenever possible to plant seeds in their lives. Teach through positivity, encouragement and uplifting rather than negativity, shouting and ridicule. Spend time with them often. Do it with them, not for them. Make them a part of your agenda rather than looking at them as an inconvenience for your agenda. Learn together. Play together.

With your Children (when they've grown):
Continue to pray for them. Be involved with their children. Stand your moral ground with them when the world tries to lead them astray. Show love and offer guidance through example, but allow the Lord to do the intervening. Forgiveness, even if not requested, is a must as God does His own building in their lives.

With Co-Workers:
Let your light shine! Smile. Encourage. Walk away from gossip. Positive words make a week more enjoyable where begrudging Mondays and wishing for Fridays used to exist. Uplifting good qualities gives drive to improve lacking ones. Forgiving errors and initiating success builds moral. Positivity drives away negativity.

With your Friends:
Standing firm in your morals without compromise builds honor and respect. Encourage their strengths and pray for their weaknesses. Be honest, but with love. Remind them of your appreciation for them. Pray for and encourage their children, as it could be watering a seed already planted.

With Acquaintances and Strangers:
Let your light shine! They don't know your burdens, so don't let your burdens be your first impression. Smile often. Reach out. Say God bless you. Offer assistance following the example of the Good Samaritan. Keep your speech positive, you never know who's listening.


A legacy is anything passed along, from one person to another. We are each a living example that someone will carry with them. Let's make sure what we're passing along reflects a true devotion to all Christ represents.

Love In Many Languages

Láska. Kærlighed. Liefde. Armastus. Rakkaus. Amour. Szeretet. Sayang. Ai. Love.

Isn't it amazing how many ways to verbally say LOVE?

There are a number of ways to show love as well. In fact, top psychologists claim that there are five love languages, or rather, five primary ways that people express and interpret love.

These five "primary love languages" are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. I can see how those five can be very much effective. Everyone receives some sort of satisfaction from feeling loved and being shown they are loved. Some need to be shown more love than others, to feel secure, needed, and appreciated. Others find it brings them more joy to share love than receive acts, words, or affirmations of love.

While these area experts may have a point in their analysis of love, I must argue that there is one language of love that was left out of the top five. It was, and is, the most important language of love ever demonstrated. It was an example and such a pure demonstration for us to literally model ourselves after.

It was the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

He ate with sinners, told parables to lend understanding, was humble in his works, compassionate to the suffering, patient through trials and judgement, and loyal to His Father's will. He served others without hesitation, never putting self first.

How many times are we guilty of serving with ulterior motives. While some of those motives may not necessarily be labeled as bad, are they truly done with a servant's heart as the example Christ so faithfully demonstrated? Sometimes just making it through the day itself seems like an achievement! But, can you imagine the joy God receives when it goes beyond that?

We have so many chances to show love to those around us!

Allow it to start right there within those walls you call your home. If we can't show love and a servant's heart to our own family members, how can we expect the love of the Lord to shine to others? When we prioritize our time and attention to the members of our family we are showing God an act of love! He has blessed us with those directly in our lives, and it's doubtful any of them would mind you experimenting your practice of love on them!

While working, cleaning, listening, teaching, supporting and giving to each other at home, we must remember to allow it to be done out of love... not obligation, guilt, habit, or duty... but truly sharing love from within. Simple things such as a hug goodnight, a meal at the table, a new coat, washed underwear, a ride to practice... are those moments being done out of habit and have-to's, or are you using those chances to demonstrate your love? It is possible for habit to become sincere and loving... and it all begins with a desire to strive toward displaying the love of Christ.

Next ask yourself what you are good at! What talent has our Creator blessed you with? You do have one... at least one! Some aren't even aware of their talent(s)! Start with things you succeed in, are good at, or things you enjoy! Do you make crafts? Build? Organize? Enjoy children? Sing? Write? Garden? Cook? Explore yourself and determine what you do and/or enjoy that can be turned into a blessing for someone else!

You've knitted a hundred scarves for your own collection... is there someone else that could appreciate the next one? You grow amazing roses in your garden... can one of those blooms brighten the day of a neighbor down the street that you've never seen smile? Your family calls you an organizing nut... is there a function coming up that could sure use help to draw more people in to hear God's word? You love to play instruments... is there a retirement home in your local area that could use some entertainment because visitors are slim to none and loneliness is creeping in? You're good with words... are you allowing God to use them to minister to others that come your way? You love seeing children smile... is there a children's ward you could visit at your local hospital with a sad child whose parents are overworked to pay medical bills and can't seem to make frequent visits for themselves?

There are so many ways to reach out to others with our own God given talents. Ways that don't require an overdose of funds... just a love that demonstrates Christ. Some tasks are small and simple, others take time, planning, and extra thought... but there is no limit on ways it can be expressed.

Learning to love in its purest sense can be a challenge, especially when our flesh and feelings are tested and try jumping in to obscure our view. However, when selfish gratifications and motivations are put on the back burner, and we seek to demonstrate the most perfect language of love... that of Christ... glory goes where glory is due.

Living With Purpose

How many times have you pondered on your reason for living? What you should be doing with your life, who you have in your life, what job to take, and which decision is best on the road you're on... all these are questions many people spend so much time deliberating on.

We each have a purpose. One single specific purpose. But what priority does that one purpose have in our life? No, it's not the job we work so hard through college to obtain. It's not the choices we make in rearing our children. It has nothing to do with the neighborhood we pick to live in to establish our social status within a community. Our specific purpose is our high calling... our individual assignment to build God's Kingdom here on earth.

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:14)

Paul knew his calling. He knew his purpose. Not only did he press toward it, but achieving that purpose was his ultimate blessing... it, in itself, was his PRIZE. It wasn't about the blessings he received in return for being obedient to his calling, instead he found honor in being chosen for the purpose God had for him, and he worked specifically to fulfill that position.

Are you a greeter at your church because it allows you to catch up on what everyone is doing as you greet them as though it's just a social function, or because God has you in a place to reach out and make others in your life feel welcomed despite their circumstance? Are you collecting canned food out of your pantry because there's a local food drive and you don't want to be the only heel in the community that forgot to contribute, or has God given you a passion for those in need? Are you tending the nursery during service because your name appears in the bulletin for helping out, or because there's a young mother in the congregation that needs spiritually fed during the sermon and cannot be with a crying toddler by her side in the pew? Are you writing a blog for the comments and website traffic it's bringing you, or because you know God has someone out there, somewhere, that needs to hear exactly what you're typing for them to read?

There are MANY purposes, those above don't even touch the surface and may just be something extra you do just because you want to do more for God in addition to the sole purpose He has you here for... but there is one specific purpose set aside just for you. The object is to discover which one was designed with your name on it. If we live our lives like Paul did, and press toward the prize, which is, in itself, our calling... our lives can then be lived abundantly. We will no longer be going through the motions of life, but living it the way we were designed to!

We are not here on earth to get the best possible job, obtain the house that everyone else we know envies, have the nicest wardrobe, or brag on the stuff we've collected. We're here to deliver God's word and establish ourselves for Him... not self. It's when we forget about our circumstances and concentrate on our Kingdom Assignment that we have begun to fully live. Many are still seeking God for His purpose in their lives. We each have, and should be embracing, a relationship assignment, a prophetic assignment, and a Kingdom assignment.

Your relationship assignment is your daily, weekly, and yearly role of drawing closer to God your Father, Jesus your Lord, and the Holy Spirit your friend. Your prophetic assignment is allowing God to touch your mouth so that through your voice His will can be manifested in the earth. Unless you declare, proclaim, and prophesy, what’s in heaven will remain in heaven, and what hell has loosed in the earth and in the lives of people will stay loosed. Your Kingdom assignment is your active part in the advancement of God's Kingdom right here on the earth while we are here on it.

The part God has called you to play was determined before you were born, just as your eyes were determined by God to be the organs that were chosen to see. Life is to be lived in the hot pursuit of that assignment. The Holy Spirit knows your assignment, and praying in the Spirit stirs your assignment. When you lose sight of your assignment, your spiritual life WILL slide.

Your assignment can be found in His presence, not from the conveniences of your circumstances. You are either advancing towards the fulfillment of your assignment or you are sliding back into your circumstances. When your Kingdom assignment becomes subject to your circumstances, your circumstances are strengthened and the Kingdom of God is weakened. When you make your circumstances subject to your Kingdom assignment there will be breakthrough and the Kingdom is propelled forward. Your assignment has a bulls eye on it that can be seen by the enemy. He may not know what it is, but he is more committed to you not knowing than you are to knowing.

There are six general questions you can ask yourself to help determine your calling... or "Kingdom Assignment". The answers to these six questions are clues to aid you in figuring out what your Kingdom Assignment is, based on how God has designed YOU, as an individual. Ultimately the Holy Spirit is our guide in confirming our assignment within our heart, but these six questions can assist in getting us started on the quest. When the desire to discover your purpose is in place, these can help you see exactly who God has created you to be for HIS purpose!

1) Who or what touches your heart, unlocking a compassion that overwhelms you beyond all else?
This will be something that moves you like nothing else. It stirs you up, motivates you, and melts your heart. Some people have a passion for children, the elderly, the homeless, the incarcerated, the disabled, the lost, the abandoned... the list is endless and these only name a few, and every heart is, and will be different. So what stirs your heart may not stir mine. This doesn't mean I lack compassion, it just means God designed you to reach out within an area different from what He designed me for.

2) What do you hate?
Often times, if you hate it, then it’s likely that whatever touches your heart is the opposite! Yes, hate is a strong word... but we all hate something! Do you hate clutter? Than you more than likely have a very organized home. Do you hate peas? Then you probably don't cook them very often for dinner. When you hate something, your instincts direct you to do something about it to change it. If you hate it, what are you doing to change it? And if it isn't motivating you enough to make a change, then maybe the hatred of it isn't installing a burning desire deep enough for it to be something you're meant to help change.

3) What do you see as the biggest problem within the church (as a whole)?
I'm not asking you to sit around and pick apart the church you specifically attend. I'm speaking about the church, the body of Christ, in general. It’s likely the ministry you see as lacking, as the very one that is relevant to what you hate, or what touches your heart. Should there be a larger emphasis on seniors, for children, for funding buildings, for the prison ministry, for mission trips, for keeping the church clean, stocking the food pantry, home visits, tent revivals... what YOU see as a general problem in the church and what it should be doing more of could very well be the area that the Lord is telling you to make a difference in! We can't all work with kids, we don't all feel led to witness within prison walls, we don't all have the personality it takes to run fund raisers for a building fund, and we're not all neat and organized being able to polish and dust every corner of the church... but there ARE people out there with those capabilities... and guess what... they ALL make up the body of Christ!

4) At the fullest potential of the church, what does that church look like to you?
What you see the most of in that vision is likely to be something relevant to your calling. Are there more people getting saved? Is the church bigger? Are there more mission trips going on? Are there community outreaches? Is it filled with more youth? Are there more couples attending? Perhaps senior citizens or homeless people are being bused in to attend. When YOU close YOUR eyes, what "improvements" are made when YOU step back and see the church doing more for the Lord?

5) What has God always blessed in your life?
If there is a certain something you find yourself doing when finding favor with the Lord, do more of it!! He’s blessing it because it pleases Him! When things stop going smoothly for you in your walk with God and in your life in general... it's time to evaluate what you changed in your life. If you feel closer to God while doing something specific, doesn't it make sense to surround yourself in those actions?

6) If you could not fail, what would you want to do to build the Kingdom?
With no lack of funds, without pressure for time, if you had all the volunteers in the world to lend a hand, and no limit on space, if there was no possible chance of failure whatsoever, no limits to the possibilities... what would you choose to do for God? You see, with God, ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:26), so what's the issue? If you would be willing to do it under the circumstances of no limit to money, space, help, or chance of failure... then why not embrace it now? God will see it through when your heart is in it for Him! You will be provided for. God always supplies that which He has ordained. If you are outside of His purpose, you have to take care of yourself. But if you are walking in His purpose, He will meet all your needs without failure.

I encourage you to find your purpose! No Kingdom assignment is too big or too small or out of reach when it's done with the sole purpose of pressing toward what God has for YOU to do! The greeter at the church door is just as precious to God as the evangelist that is holding crusades with thousands kneeling at an alter. The person playing the piano for the church can hold more anointing than the most current Christian music artist on the charts. The dinner you made for the family that just moved in down the street may be the first real meal they've had in weeks, and that outreach is no different than the truckloads of food missionaries are delivering to countries going without.

It's your calling, your Kingdom assignment... your PURPOSE. Make it count, make it an honor, and press toward it... your creator is depending on you.