Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Leaving a Legacy

I’ve been thinking about legacies off and on the past couple of weeks. I heard a pastor speak about legacies and that kind of got me thinking about it. Then I read a blog entry written by R.C. Sproul, Jr. about Dr. Edmund Clowney and that got me thinking some more.

The pastor was speaking of the different kinds of legacies that people leave behind. Most often when people hear the word legacy they think of something related to money. Sometimes they think of donations or large gifts to organizations such as a university or ministry.

But the greatest legacy, he argued, was the one that we leave through other people. For those with children, by far the greatest legacy would be to leave behind godly children who are fervently committed to Christ. For those without children, legacies can be left through people we disciple, other family members, friends, and fellow church members.

After reading the entry about Dr. Clowney, I pulled The Church out of my bookcase and spent some time reading parts of it again. It is a wonderful book he wrote that I have turned to on numerous occasions when thinking through different issues related to Christ’s church. I had the opportunity to sit under Dr. Clowney’s teaching when he came to an InterVarsity regional staff retreat. He was a wonderful teacher and, as R.C. wrote, a man of great humility.

His book on my shelf is a very small part of his legacy. His time spent teaching that week is also a very small part of his legacy. But in my life they are meaningful parts that have had a hand in shaping me in different ways. Multiplied by the tens of thousands of people who have read his books and sat under his teaching…well, you have quite a legacy.

I know most people won’t be called to write books and teach at seminaries. But all of us have opportunities each day to add a little bit to our legacy. Whether it is loving a neighbor, caring for a sick child, helping an elderly family member, or sending an encouraging note to a friend, we all should be looking each day for opportunities to serve the Lord and leave a legacy that will remain long after we have gone home to be with Christ.

2 comments:

Sallie Borrink said...

Terry,

I'm glad you find my blog thought-provoking! One of my goals with this blog is to be thought-provoking rather than just telling people what I think they should think. I like to raise the questions and issues and trust the Holy Spirit to do whatever He chooses with it.

Blessings,
Sallie

Anonymous said...

What an amazing statement in that blog article from RC Sproul Jr: "Our reputation, I believe, fits us. But not all of us. Every now and again God in His judgment gives us stupid, arrogant folk, your present writer being a prime example."

In light of RC Sproul Jr's defrocking that admission now seems more relevant than ever. And what now will be the legacy of RC Sproul Jr?