Last Sunday night, I had the opportunity to have some of our 26 seniors in my home for a time to pray over their final year of college.
During the evening they were able to look through old scrapbooks and share stories recalling by name the former upperclassmen students who made an impact on their first year at Bama.
Smiles flashed across our faces simply at the mention of those names. Their lasting legacy is found evident in the ministry efforts of these seniors today.
If you read through the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50, you see a man who endured some of the most desperate and hopeless of circumstances, including slavery, false imprisonment, and famine.
Yet at the end of his story, he declared to his brothers who had sold him into slavery at age 17, “You meant evil against me but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20, ESV).
We can learn much from Joseph’s life. He persevered. He forgave. He respected authority. He saw purpose through every circumstance. Joseph wasn’t perfect, but thousands of years later we’re not focused on his mistakes. His legacy is found in the way he lived despite his circumstances.
What people see in you and say about your life matters. It matters in the moment. It matters after you graduate or make a transition. It matters long after you leave this earth.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold (Proverbs 22:1, ESV).
We cannot control most of the circumstances of our lives, but we can control our reaction to them. We can find meaning and purpose through every setback or trial.
As Christians, we carry a name that is much more powerful than anything of this earth. We bear the name of Christ. How does the way we live our lives currently reflect that name? In the classroom or in the office. In free time with family and friends. Even in time alone when no one else is watching.
Determine whether you are holding back in allowing God to use every circumstance for His glory and purpose. Consider what your legacy would look like if you were to soon make a transition. If at the mention of your name those who come after you would simply smile?
