Legacies and Stewardship

"Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful" - 1 Corinthians 4:2. If you watch the news or check social media you will often find people discussing legacies or the way someone will be remembered. We talk about the way Presidents will be memorialized. We consider how a few actions can seemingly tarnish a lifetime of good choices. We acknowledge that, sometimes, the perception of our legacies will be outside of our control. On Monday we will be celebrating a man who left a definite legacy. On Wednesday, arguably, the most controversial President in the history of our nation will leave the White House. I'm not going to debate what his legacy will be in 100 years. However, we understand that legacies exist and sometimes ostracize people.

People, often, want to be remembered. They worry about their reputation. They want others to be proud of them (even if the "others" are simply family members). I would argue that this desire is not wrong. God created us for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We were meant to live for more than this finite moment.

So what is the goal? Should we try to do more good than bad so that people will remember us fondly? Should we focus on making sure that we are on the "right side of history" as so many people have claimed? As Christians, should we even be worried about our legacy? I would argue that the concept of stewardship is key as we consider the desire to leave a legacy. If anyone would have (seemingly) had a mixed legacy, it should have been the Apostle Paul. However, he came to the end of his life and proclaimed, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). He further declared, "I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:26-27). Paul had literally persecuted the church. He received the bloody robes of Stephen after that godly man bad been stoned. Yet Paul arrived at the end of his life confident that he had been a faithful steward of what God had entrusted to him.

See, stewardship takes the focus off of our behavior, performance, or how we want to be remembered. Instead, it places our eyes on what God has entrusted to us and how we honor him in our choices and motives. I'm not saying don't leave a legacy. The Bible actually challenges the godly to leave a legacy or inheritance (Proverbs 13:22). However, I am saying that the focus should be on faithfulness wherever God has placed us. The legacy should always be a result of a faithful life - not just a way to improve our personal reputation. This perspective removes the pressure of performance and allows us to simply be obedient. We aren't trying to impress God, family, friends, communities, supervisors, professors, or a nation. We are making daily choices that will determine if we are being good stewards of the gifts, talents, and resources he has given us. We are pursuing his heart, loving him more, and making decisions that are reflective of spiritual maturity. So, be a faithful steward and a legacy will follow. You may influence millions or you may impact your immediate corner of the world. Regardless, it will no longer be your responsibility...it will be the outflow.