“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God] ”(2 Peter 3:10-11 Amplified Bible)
What’s missing if we focus on the things people will remember us by in the future? What’s missing when the term “legacy” is literally thought of as something that individuals leave behind; their past superb accomplishments, the previous splendid contributions they made in life, and their prior, specific achievements that standout in the minds of others, especially when the term “legacy” is only thought of when we realize that inescapable “time for everything” where we transition from life here to eternal life in glory with the King?
When I look at some figures in sports, I see that there are individuals just playing the game and I also see individuals working hard, admittedly, consciously, and undeniably focusing on building a legacy in the present day. That’s so when the past has passed by and the future has come, when time has rendered them unable to play their beloved sport any more, there will be a legacy that is solid, and not structured by some needle in a haystack search for something good to say.
As Christians, we have to focus on where we are right now, between the past and the future. We have to focus on the present. And not just focus on the present in a general sense as in reference to our lives over time, but from a more microscopic view, we must focus on the “present” every day, and actually every new moment. Yes, every day, like the latter athletes mentioned above, each day that the Lord allows us to see, we ought to spend our time giving our best effort, focusing on our legacy that will review our past and the not yet reached future. You want to know something? Today is an “each day,“ one of those “present” days. So let’s work on our “game” my fellow believer. Have a wonderful Friday! Don’t forget to pray for strength, pray for strangers and friends who are in special need of prayer to make it today, between their unique and perhaps, challenging present times. And also realize that once you are finished reading this meditation, that becomes a past activity, time well spent. Now focus on a new “present” time. Be blessed!
“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4 NIV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King