What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?

Sorry for the lack of posts, it's been a crazy week.

Two things happened this past Monday. A friend of mine got her piano test results back, and I got inducted into my school's chapter of National Honors Society.

During lunch, my friend went to go see her music teacher to get her score report for her exam. When she came back, she was in tears. I asked her what was wrong, and she said she did bad. I glanced at her sheet, and noticed the A+ at the top. I asked her what was wrong, and she said that her score wasn't high enough to get into the all-state orchestra. My heart sank. I've walked down the same road of disappointment where I think I worked hard enough to achieve my goal, when in reality, I did not. I tried my best to comfort her, but it seemed to have little effect. She was on my mind the rest of the school day as I tried to see if there was anything the Holy Spirit wanted to say to her. I shared a few songs with her that were on my heart, and she asked me questions about our true identities in Christ. During our conversation, she confessed to me that she was determined to, as she put it, "leave her mark on the world". I agreed with her, who doesn't want that?

That led me to ask myself what kinds of legacy I want to leave for my people. Do I want them to remember me for the awards I've won and achievements in life, or for the love I show to them? I'm not sure about any of you, but I definitely prefer the latter. Showing love is more important to me than getting recognized for doing great works in my life.

Jesus thought so too. When He was teaching the disciples, they asked him, “'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' and "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 26:36-39) By putting the 2 commandments related to love first, it shows how much Jesus valued love. As followers of Christ, we are supposed to be the salt and light to this world. This responsibility includes loving others unconditionally, especially through their trials. People experiencing suffering need the truth of the gospel most because it will comfort and guide them. 

So as we start a new week today, my challenge for you is this: How can you reach out to those going through a rough time in your life?