Know Yourself

Leaving a Legacy

Mary

A legacy is the part of our lives that continues to affect people even after we’ve died. It’s the part of us that will be woven into the world. Flavored by our own perspective and abilities, it will become a part of the larger, global, eternal work that God is doing.

Each person leaves a legacy, intentionally or not. Our interactions with others leaves a story behind that wraps itself around their lives and affects them long after we’ve gone.

Legacies begin when we learn to see beyond ourselves. Our reach can impact our own family or families a world away. When we try to reach out and bless everyone with the purpose that God has given us, we are reaching beyond ourselves and building our legacy.

The power of our legacy comes from  love for others. When we connect heart to heart with other people, we find that their love is grown, their world is brightened, and they find that they are able to build their own legacy of love.

What is our legacy, really? It’s the awareness of the love of God flowing through people. It’s the power of a connection that goes beyond our own human abilities to foster. God is working in His people to create a bond that is unbreakable; a bond forged by the Holy Spirit. Each generation that pours itself into supporting that bond grows a deeper legacy with a wider range of people.

Our strength comes from connections around us. Our ability to weather storms safely is increased when we have others to stand with and around us. Our children grow up more aware of the power of God when we surround ourselves with people living in His ways.

Death is the final line for us to cross, and when we do finally go home, the legacy we leave will shine as a story of God’s love. Our homecoming will be sweeter because of the lives we have impacted through our willingness to love.

Who Am I?

Mary

God made each person uniquely and for a purpose. From before birth to the day of our death, God knows what we were made to do and wants to fill us with power to do it. He is building up His kingdom on this earth and He wants us to pour  ourselves into the building.

In order to do that, we must know how and what God made us to do. We have unique abilities and interests. We have our own ideas and perspective on things. The more we can identify and hone into what God made us for, the more fully we can step into the work He has given us.

The first step in knowing our abilities is accepting that the Lord gave us some. So many people feel that they have nothing to offer, or that their offering isn’t good enough. Every bird and every rock is known by God. He” keeps His eye on the sparrow” ((Matthew 10:29) and knows when they die. Your contribution is seen by Him and He is ecstatic that you are willing to offer it. Don’t let a human view of what’s valuable and what’s not taint your view of how much God values your abilities.

The second step in knowing your abilities is to accept that you may not realize what you’re truly good at, and may not even know that you do it. Some of our strongest traits are ones we simply feel like are a part of who we are. It’s just an extension of ourselves. We often assume that everyone does it and we’re surprised or even annoyed when we find that other people don’t do it the same way. These are signs that it’s an innate ability;something so fundamental to who God made us to be that we bring it into everything we do.

God has given you abilities He wants you to use for the good of all of His children. You must be willing to set aside your doubts and step into being who He created you to be. The fullness of Him, in us, is the power to work for Him.

Our own ideas of who we are can interfere with who God made us to be, if we haven’t submitted them to Him. God has a dream for each of us. One where we are walking hand in hand with Him, creating a world where others can be brought to Him. Our call is to step into ourselves – to know our work and purpose.

God is calling  you. He seeks servants who are willing to be who He made them to be. Let go of ideas and work that is outside of His will and find Him. Seek Him. Help others find Him in a way that only you can do. He created a path for you, and it is a good path. Trust Him enough to walk it.