The legacy you’ll leave behind can be a huge motivator!

This year, 2020, has been a relatively tough one for most people. We have faced challenges like we have never faced before. Our livelihoods have been threatened and compromised. We experienced a lot of uncertainty and widespread anxiety and fear. Many of us lost loved ones to COVID-19 and other causes. As I strived to come to terms with the loss in my family and watched others do the same, my thoughts inevitably turned to my own mortality. Something about grieving brings home just how short and fragile life can be.

As I thought about my mortality, I was also filled with thoughts about the legacy I will leave behind one day. I know this may sound a little morbid to some but apparently, this is a natural part of the grieving process. It’s also a great opportunity to reflect on what drives or motivates me. What do I want to achieve with the life, time, skills, and resources I’ve been given? What do I want to leave behind for future generations? These are not comfortable questions to engage with for me. They make me feel vulnerable yet they also propel, move, and empower me. If I achieve nothing else, my prayer is that I will at least achieve the following five things:

Glorify God

“Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them,” God said to Isaiah (Isaiah 43:7). Therefore, I believe that I was created by God to glorify him, among other things. It is the reason for my existence. Indeed, it is my life’s purpose and goal to do just that with my life. But how does one glorify God? Firstly, by loving him with all my heart, all my soul, and all mind (Matthew 22:37–38). It is my honour and privilege to have a relationship with God, to love him as my father and friend.

Secondly, I glorify God by loving others as I love myself (Matthew 22:39). Loving others means showing love to anyone I encounter not just the people that I know or those that love me back. It means showing love to those who have a different social, economic, political, religious, and cultural background to mine just like I would to those I identify with. It means showing love to those that dislike or disagree with me. Challengingly, it means showing love even to those that treat me with less respect, compassion, and dignity than I deserve!

Luckily for me, God made me in his own image. He gave me his glory and honour and characteristics which enable me to love even when it’s the last thing I want to do (Psalm 8:5-6). Third, I glorify God by putting him first in everything. That means living my life, every area of it, according to Biblical principles. It means I defer to him in my dreaming, planning, decision making, and day-to-day life. In everything I do, I do it for his glory, praise, and worship:

“ Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, 
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], 
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Colossians 3:17 (AMP)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

" Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Proverb 3:5-6 (NLT)

Advance and invest in the kingdom of God

In the conventional sense, a kingdom is a community or territory which is governed by a monarch that’s headed by a king or queen. Likewise, the kingdom of God is a realm (sphere or territory) that is governed by God. In this kingdom, Jesus is king and God’s authority is supreme. It is everlasting and consists of a community of those who believe in God. I become a citizen or “enter” this kingdom by believing in God and submitting to his authority (Matthew 7:21 and Colossians 1:13).

According to the Bible, the kingdom of God (also known as the kingdom of heaven) is both a present reality and a future territory. It is a future territory in the sense that the fullness of God’s reign is yet to be experienced in all its glory and perfection. This will happen later at a time that only God knows. It is also a present reality in the sense that it is experienced in the present though not fully. God resides amongst and within his children (those that believe in him). As a child of God, for example, I experience his love, peace, joy, friendship, righteousness, and more (Romans 14:17).

By putting God first and living my life for his glory, I invest treasures in the kingdom of God. In addition to that, I progress or move the kingdom of God forward by shaping my life after Christ’s example and, therefore, being an example (Romans 15:1-22). Jesus himself focused his ministry on proclaiming and advancing the kingdom of God. The Bible paints a picture of a beautiful, rich kingdom that’s worth investing in:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. 
In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. 
When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” 
Matthew 13:44-46 (NLT)

Empower and enrich others

Apparently, imagining your eulogy can help give you clarity, purpose, and perspective on how you want to live your life and what you want to achieve. It’s my prayer and goal to use what I have to empower and enrich those around me. I have a heart for uplifting, serving, and helping others and so I’m usually on the lookout for opportunities to add value. I want to leave people and spaces better because I was present. When I imagine my eulogy, I want people to say, “Thank God I met her. I’m grateful that she was my friend. Flo inspired and encouraged me. She helped me improve my life or my circumstances. She was a joy and a blessing to me. She truly loved me. I laughed long and hard with her. Because of Flo…” I don’t always know what enriching those around me looks like or how I’ll achieve it. I just know that I’ll take the opportunity to do it as often as I can 😊.

Pass the baton

Besides empowering and enriching people, I want to pass the baton so that others are propelled and empowered to also do the same. Again, I do not always know what that looks like or how I will achieve this. I do look for opportunities to pass on whatever wisdom, knowledge, values, and skills that I have gained over the years. I plan, pray, and hope to create a legacy that is bigger than me. When I dream, I dream of leaving a legacy that snowballs beyond my wildest dreams and expectations. I have been blessed to be surrounded by great people, great role models within my family and in my social circle. If I can find a way to package and pass on what I’ve learnt from them and from life in general, that would be a great win for me.

Live life in abundance

As cliched as it sounds, I want to live my best life. I want to have live life abundantly. This means appreciating and enjoying what life has for me – my family, my friends, my work, and my circumstances whether they’re mundane or otherwise. I want to laugh and love as fully as I can. There is something rich about living joyfully with a heart full of gratitude. It’s my goal to do just that. I want to fail and succeed and remain unchanged by it. When adventure calls, I intend to respond and continue trying new things. I hope to see as much of the world as I can. It’s my prayer that I live boldly and courageously. In short, I want to be “full of days” and greet the end when it comes with a knowing smile 😊.

Love,