Discipleship, Life

Legacy

Last Sunday, I began a new sermon series entitled, “Legacy.” All of us desire to leave something of worth to those we leave behind. Our legacy can be an inheritance, character traits, or a passion for a cause or people group. Leaving a legacy then is really about STEWARDSHIP.

Traditionally, when we have heard the word stewardship we automatically begin thinking about finances or writing a check to the church or another organization. Stewardship encompasses much more than just our money. Stewardship is about living the life that God has given us in such a way that all the glory and honor goes to Him.

If we are going to understand the true, biblical understanding of stewardship then we have to understand 3 things:

  1. God is the owner of everything. He owns our money. He owns our things. He owns our livelihoods, and ultimately, He owns our lives.
  2. We are merely stewards of all that God owns. When God created Adam and Eve, he made them stewards of the Garden. They were placed in charge of all that God created and they were given the responsibility of taking care of God’s creation. The same is true for us. We get confused when we begin to believe that everything we have is ours and that it is owned by us. We can get possessive. We can get territorial. We can get selfish. However, when we begin to see that everything we have – our families, our things, our relationships, our lives – has been entrusted to us to care for, tend, and nurture than that can change our hearts and the way we live.
  3. We have the responsibility to manage everything for God’s glory. Everything that God has given us isn’t ours to own but ours to manage. You don’t own your finances, God has blessed you with income so that you can take care of your family and bless others. Your job isn’t yours to own, you have been put in your position in order to interact with and impact those around you. You aren’t just a student, you are using the gifts and cognitive abilities that God has given you in order to learn and grow.

So, if God owns everything and if we are merely stewards of those things, talents, and abilities than leaving a legacy is really about how we live.Your legacy won’t be determined by how much money you have when you die. Your legacy won’t be determined by how many buildings or organizations are named after you.

The truth is, your legacy will only be determined by the way that you steward the life and relationships that God gives you.