“It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed His approval of His gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.” – Hebrews 11:4
What is “legacy?” The word is very prestigious. But what does it even mean? Normally, when we begin thinking about legacy, we think in terms of possessions and stuff. We think, “when I’m gone, I’m going to leave this for him and this for her…” and we think about how we are going to divide our possessions and where we’re going to leave our things.
But when you think about it, it is not the inheritance or possessions that you leave behind that counts the most. Those things won’t last forever. The thing you leave your family that will last forever is faith.
Hebrews 11:4 says, “It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed His approval of His gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.”
Did you catch that? “Even though he is dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.” Think about the biblical characters we talk about – David, Peter, Moses, Daniel, Jonah, Ruth – these people left a legacy long after they were dead. Not because they were crazy rich and had all this stuff to hand down (though some of them did), but because of the faith they lived by.
The example they set through their faith was passed down through generations. They impacted people not only in their family lineage but people all over the world from generation to generation. Talk about a legacy!
So, what about you? What will they say about you when you are gone? Will it just be about the possessions you accumulated and the deals you closed? Or will it be the example you set for all those who encountered you? Will it be the faith that you lived by in any and every situation? You have an opportunity now. What will they say when you are gone? Will it be about you? Or about your faith? The story is being written, and it’s being written NOW.