Then Naomi took the child and placed him in her lap, and she became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son (grandson) has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed (worshiper). He is the father of Jesse, the father of David [the ancestor of Jesus Christ]. -Ruth 4:16-17 AMP
Several years ago, I was working through a Bible study on the life of David. The first chapter of this study focused on David’s heritage, particularly about Naomi and Ruth. A couple of questions have stuck with me throughout the years.
Question #1: What do you want your legacy to be?
Question #2: What are you doing today to make that happen?
Have you thought about this? What do you want friends and family to say about you after you’re gone from this earthly life? Maybe you want people to say you were kind and loving, caring to all people, going out of your way to help a stranger, the most thoughtful friend, gentle mother, and selfless wife.
All good things, right?
But the next question is more practical and maybe harder for you to answer, as it was for me. What are you doing today to make that your legacy?
Are you stuck on that question, like I was, struggling to come up with someone that would say those wonderful things about you? I would love to say that I immediately saw the disconnect between what I wanted friends and family to say about me and the way I was actually living my life. I knew I was missing something, but it would take me years to figure out what that something was.
I was a nice person, but how was I showing that to others? I thought about friends all the time, but was I letting them know? I would think about how I could reach out to my neighbors, but had I actually done anything?
My mind was full of good intentions. But intentions do not build a legacy. After all, who would know what I intended to do, if they never saw me living it out?
Our minds are filled with “good” thoughts and “bad” thoughts. Good thoughts would be those that show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to others, or ourselves. You may recognize these words as the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galations 5:22-23). Bad thoughts are those of anxiety, doubt, self-pity, judgment, hatred, anger, bitterness, or any other expressions of negativity.
Which thoughts are ruling your mind? Better yet, which thoughts are ruling your life?
Do you have a thought of doing something kind for someone, only to have a doubtful, worrisome thought stop you from doing that kind thing? “Will they appreciate this meal, even though they haven’t asked for it?”
Do you think to text a friend who’s going through a hard time and let her know you care about her and then say, “I’ll do that later.” Does later ever come? Do you procrastinate so long that eventually the moment is gone?
Do you want to show gentleness to your young children but then let thoughts of anger and bitterness take over as you’re picking up their toys for the hundredth time that day? Then those thoughts come spewing out of your mouth in explosive yelling.
Do you plan on walking over to introduce yourself to your neighbor, but then you avoid it because it could be awkward and uncomfortable?
If you are hesitant to do good, because you’re worried about how it will be received, what kind of mark does that leave on your legacy? None. All those good thoughts you have but don’t follow through with doing will not give anyone anything nice to say about you.
So how do you make yourself actually do what you want to do? First, let us remember, fear, doubt, anxiety, and worry do not come from God. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). What kind of spirit does God give us? One of power and love. God wants us to love with boldness (power) and to know that we are doing the right thing by showing love.
If you’re worried about how your neighbor/friend/relative/coworker/fellow church member will receive your love, remember Romans 13:8: “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” All you owe your neighbor is love. Do not let your doubt and fears come between you and your neighbors. Self-pity, doubt, worry, and anxiety don’t require any action on our part. Love takes action.
Galatians 5:13 says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” There is freedom in following Christ. Through love, we serve. When we are not serving others, we are only serving ourselves, the flesh.
Are you hesitant because you allow the decisions to stress you out? You may do the wrong act of service for someone. Will they even appreciate it? Will they be offended by it? There is freedom in following Christ, freedom to mess up as long as we’re acting in love.
Go write that card. Send that text. Take a meal. Say hi to someone new. Give love a chance and live your legacy today. This moment, be the person you know you should be. Show others the love of Jesus. Plant the seeds now, so your friends and family can share your fruit later.
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