Leaving a Legacy
Well this Wednesday the unthinkable is happening. I can't believe it! I am going to turn 42 years old! With each passing year I feel more and more of a responsibility to leave a legacy of faith that others can follow. I have a strong desire to make each passing year productive for the Kingdom of God. But you know sometimes that is pretty difficult to do.
I think it is difficult for several reasons. First, it is difficult because we get distracted by things that take our focus off of what we were meant to do. Second, it is difficult because we become more concerned about pleasing others than we are about pleasing God. Third, I think it is difficult because leaving a legacy requires hard work and sacrifice. It requires exalting the needs of the Kingdom above our own needs. And truthfully, this is very difficult to do.
I have been serving as a Senior Pastor for the past 21 years. Truthfully, I feel like I am much too young to have served this long. But the cold hard truth is......I am old enough. As a minister I really struggle with each of the afore mentioned barriers that keep us from leaving a legacy. I do get distracted often with things that take my focus off of what I was called to do. I believe that I was put on this earth to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ! But unfortunately, the organization called the "church" is full of distractions that can distract. As a pastor I am often tempted to just want to please others even if my pleasing them isn't in their best interest. Truthfully, nothing gets a pastors attention like dissatisfied sheep. Finally, I think the desire to be comfortable and satisfied sometimes keeps us from leaving a legacy.
It seems to me that I would do well to follow the example of Jesus whenever the crowds and even His disciples provided the distractions. Jesus knew that His mission was to go and preach the gospel. However, the crowd and the disciples (Mark 1:35-38) wanted Jesus to stick around. It is almost as if they expected Jesus to drop His mission in order to please people.
It pleases me that Jesus in this text gives us an example of what it takes if we are going to be effective. First, Jesus demonstrates for us that alone time with God is required if we are going live a healthy balanced life and leave a legacy. The crowds obviously knew what was best for Jesus (WRONG!) which in their minds was to stay with them. But Jesus didn't allow their opinion to keep Him from doing what was necessary. Jesus being fully human and fully divine needed that alone time with His Father. And Jesus was not going to be sidetracked.
Second, Jesus demonstrates for the need to stay focused on our mission. In verse 38 He makes it clear that instead of staying and fellowshipping He needed to press on in His mission and "go into the next towns." I am sure that the fellowship and acceptance that he would have felt with these people would have been enjoyable. But Jesus didn't put His own pleasure and needs above the overall mission. The truth is that some people never leave a legacy because they have become to self indulgent. After all, we have developed a "me first" mentality in our country today. We must again embrace the priority of our mission.
Finally, Jesus demonstrates that we need to learn to establish boundaries. One thing that is evident in Jesus' ministry is that people were always willing to express their opinions about how He could do th ministry. In other places in the gospels we see people trying to tell Jesus how to do his job: when Lazarus was sick, when the woman anointed his feet, when Jesus told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die -- Jesus never lacked for opinions from others. But Jesus didn't fold. Jesus stayed focused on what He was called to do.
As a pastor I often receive opinions on how I should carry out my calling. And one of my problems is my desire to please others. The desire to please others can end up destroying good hearted, well intentioned men of God. We need to remember that people have a right to their opinions but just because they have their opinion doesn't mean they are right. How we carry out our calling is between us and God. This principle is something that Jesus demonstrates to us and that we need to have the courage to apply.
But ministers are not the only ones who have to learn this lesson. Each of us have to learn to set boundaries so that we can become more efficient in serving our Lord. Each of us if we are not careful can allow our jobs to own us, our hobbies to own us, our possessions to own us. Setting boundaries helps us to live a balanced healthy life.
And a balanced healthy life is a good start to leaving a spiritual legacy that honors God. None of us know how much longer God will leave us on this earth. But hopefully each of us wants to leave a legacy that points others to God. Let me encourage you to follow Jesus' recipe for a healthy balanced life. And who knows....Maybe God will use you to cast a shadow that will impact lives for Him for many years to come.
Will
I think it is difficult for several reasons. First, it is difficult because we get distracted by things that take our focus off of what we were meant to do. Second, it is difficult because we become more concerned about pleasing others than we are about pleasing God. Third, I think it is difficult because leaving a legacy requires hard work and sacrifice. It requires exalting the needs of the Kingdom above our own needs. And truthfully, this is very difficult to do.
I have been serving as a Senior Pastor for the past 21 years. Truthfully, I feel like I am much too young to have served this long. But the cold hard truth is......I am old enough. As a minister I really struggle with each of the afore mentioned barriers that keep us from leaving a legacy. I do get distracted often with things that take my focus off of what I was called to do. I believe that I was put on this earth to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ! But unfortunately, the organization called the "church" is full of distractions that can distract. As a pastor I am often tempted to just want to please others even if my pleasing them isn't in their best interest. Truthfully, nothing gets a pastors attention like dissatisfied sheep. Finally, I think the desire to be comfortable and satisfied sometimes keeps us from leaving a legacy.
It seems to me that I would do well to follow the example of Jesus whenever the crowds and even His disciples provided the distractions. Jesus knew that His mission was to go and preach the gospel. However, the crowd and the disciples (Mark 1:35-38) wanted Jesus to stick around. It is almost as if they expected Jesus to drop His mission in order to please people.
It pleases me that Jesus in this text gives us an example of what it takes if we are going to be effective. First, Jesus demonstrates for us that alone time with God is required if we are going live a healthy balanced life and leave a legacy. The crowds obviously knew what was best for Jesus (WRONG!) which in their minds was to stay with them. But Jesus didn't allow their opinion to keep Him from doing what was necessary. Jesus being fully human and fully divine needed that alone time with His Father. And Jesus was not going to be sidetracked.
Second, Jesus demonstrates for the need to stay focused on our mission. In verse 38 He makes it clear that instead of staying and fellowshipping He needed to press on in His mission and "go into the next towns." I am sure that the fellowship and acceptance that he would have felt with these people would have been enjoyable. But Jesus didn't put His own pleasure and needs above the overall mission. The truth is that some people never leave a legacy because they have become to self indulgent. After all, we have developed a "me first" mentality in our country today. We must again embrace the priority of our mission.
Finally, Jesus demonstrates that we need to learn to establish boundaries. One thing that is evident in Jesus' ministry is that people were always willing to express their opinions about how He could do th ministry. In other places in the gospels we see people trying to tell Jesus how to do his job: when Lazarus was sick, when the woman anointed his feet, when Jesus told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die -- Jesus never lacked for opinions from others. But Jesus didn't fold. Jesus stayed focused on what He was called to do.
As a pastor I often receive opinions on how I should carry out my calling. And one of my problems is my desire to please others. The desire to please others can end up destroying good hearted, well intentioned men of God. We need to remember that people have a right to their opinions but just because they have their opinion doesn't mean they are right. How we carry out our calling is between us and God. This principle is something that Jesus demonstrates to us and that we need to have the courage to apply.
But ministers are not the only ones who have to learn this lesson. Each of us have to learn to set boundaries so that we can become more efficient in serving our Lord. Each of us if we are not careful can allow our jobs to own us, our hobbies to own us, our possessions to own us. Setting boundaries helps us to live a balanced healthy life.
And a balanced healthy life is a good start to leaving a spiritual legacy that honors God. None of us know how much longer God will leave us on this earth. But hopefully each of us wants to leave a legacy that points others to God. Let me encourage you to follow Jesus' recipe for a healthy balanced life. And who knows....Maybe God will use you to cast a shadow that will impact lives for Him for many years to come.
Will
1 Comments:
Bro. Will,
Hey, I hope that you do leave a legacy that is glorifying to God and helps others to know God better. I have been praying for you and Hickory Grove, and will continue. I pray that God will work in the church to do some great things to bring him glory.
Kenneth
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