This past weekend, I (Angie) had the honor of preaching about legacy. When one talks about legacy, it inherently means the subject matter is morbid. Death is not an easy topic to discuss and I am sorry to those who thought I was preaching about an “imminent” legacy. I have not been diagnosed with a terminal illness, but appreciate all the concern for my well-being.
This sermon series highlights Dr. Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture,” and the realities of his story mean we delve into dying and what we leave behind. Dr. Pausch was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and was asked to give a “last lecture” at his beloved Carnegie Mellon University. He was conscious of the fact he would not be around to teach his children all the lessons he wanted to teach him, so he used the last lecture to capture some of those insights for his kids. None of us know how long we have on this earth, and out of gratitude for God’s gift of everlasting life in Jesus Christ we are called to live life like we appreciate it. We do not have to be presented with a diagnosis of just a few weeks or months left to live to make sure our priorities are in line with God’s hope for our lives. My challenge to all of you is to reflect upon what you will leave behind from your time on earth, and I am not talking about a monetary inheritance for your family.
I want to share again some of the insights I gained from my own reflection on legacy. IF I was not here to raise my boys, here is what I hope for them. As a mother of two precious little children, I hope they know I love them, know God loves them, and know my hope for them to be part of something bigger than themselves. This means my greatest hope for them is to live life as a part of the body of Christ. As they grow up, I hope they accept Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their life, so they will experience real and everlasting life.
I am depending on all of you and the Holy Spirit to show Christ to them. Being a part of the body of Christ will mean they know God's love. They will never walk alone and will always have the support of the family of Christ's body. It will also mean they will be taught what true treasure is and not what culture will want to sell them. They will learn treasure is from Christ's gift of salvation to them and they will know gratitude. They will be empowered to not only be concerned with the well-being of themselves and their immediate family. They will want to work to alleviate the suffering of the world. They will be taught to think of others before themselves so that others may experience real life in Christ. They will be conscious of the gloriousness of creation and be good stewards of this blessing.
I hope my life always points toward Christ and my legacy is one of love. We are not called to focus on our own mortality. We are called to appreciate the moments, care for others more than ourselves, and share God’s gift of real, eternal life with others. This is a legacy worth leaving!
