This is the Faith I Live by: In Christ I can make an impact
Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Audio Link: http://bit.ly/ThoughtsinWorship
“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.”
Death is not morbid. The Bible teaches us that we are here today, and sometimes gone today because tomorrow is not promised. Instead, I believe death can bring hope. Given the right perspective, we can see death as showing us that we have a certain amount of time to make a lasting impact on the world around us. We can make an impact on our families, through our faith, or even civically within our communities. There are a number of spaces that we can influence. No matter where we are, we can always make an impact.
What Will Your Legacy Be?
The question is: in the limited time we have, what kind of changes will you leave behind? What will your legacy be? When you die will people remember you for your love? Will they remember you for your undying dedication to the causes of the maligned? Maybe people will remember you for your zeal for the kingdom? Or will people remember you for your selfishness? Maybe they’ll remember you for your foolish arrogance? And what if they remember you for your disregard for the common good?
In our theme passage, the wiseman gives us a royal charge to live like our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. When He encountered people He completely altered their current situation. For example, when Jesus met blind people He gave them new vision. Many times while traveling and preaching He encountered hungry people and always fed them both physically and spiritually. Or how about when He encountered proud people and humbly gave them a glimpse to His sovereignty as the mighty King of the universe. Or even when He encountered injustice and rebuked the oppressors with a whip He hand made. Jesus made an indelible impact on everything and everyone He touched. And He only had thirty-three years on this Earth. But the three and a half years of His ministry changed the world forever.
It’s not about how much time you have, it’s about what you do with the time you’re given.
Make Every Moment Count
It’s important as we think about our everyday decisions to determine that we will do our best to make each moment God gives us count for something. And when we gather together all the fragments of lasting, positive impact, they will comprise a respectable legacy that can be passed on for generations to come. This life is but a fleeting moment, but our impact must continue long after we are gone.
By God’s grace, this is the faith I live by, let this be the same for you, in Jesus’ name.
