“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. This is my command, Love each other.” John 15:9-11, 17
I’m sure you’ve heard the expression that the bible is the greatest love story ever written. It would be hard to argue that when you read verses like the one above spoken by Jesus to his disciples on the night he was to be given up to the authorities. The eve of his death.
Do you ever wonder what your legacy would be? What is the one thing that people would say about you? What would you want them to say? I think it is so incredibly powerful that Jesus’s legacy of love remains 2,000 years later.
These days there are new celebrities being created almost daily. Young people driven to Youtube trying to leave their mark on the world; social influencers, video gamers. It often feels like we have become a society that is consumed with the idea of becoming famous, or at least it feels as if we are raising our kids that way. But what is fame? What are we chasing? What are our children chasing? Is it happiness, validation? Does the fact that someone watches your Youtube channel or reads your blog mean that you are worthy? Does it make you a better person? I don’t claim to be immune to this. As a writer I used to worry about how many people were buying my books, reading my comics, writing reviews, and a bad review or poor sales could make me question my value as a person.
That’s why I love the lyrics in the Casting Crows song, Only Jesus; “I don’t want to leave a legacy. I don’t care if they remember me. Only Jesus.” (full song below)
I think that we need to remind ourselves and our children that our legacy is in the lives of the people we touch everyday. It’s in obeying Jesus’ command to love each other that we create something that we can truly be proud of. I can’t remember film stars from 40 years ago, and 40 years from now I guessing no one will remember Ninja or Fortnite. It’s the mark that you leave on the lives of the people around you that matters, that you’ll be remembered for.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Let today be the day be the day that you stop worrying about leaving your mark on the world and start worrying about leaving your mark on the hearts of those around you. Live a life of love. A kind, patient life. A life in which you aren’t focused on your own accomplishments, but on lifting up those around you. Love each other, and allow the joy of Jesus to be in you and your joy to be complete.
God Bless,
Meredith
finchmeredith1 