Wise people live their life with the future in view. Our lives are brief enough as it is. Scripture declares we are like a vapor (James 4:14). Astute people seek to elongate their influence by leaving a legacy. A legacy is the influence you exert on people and organizations after you are no longer present. Your influence can take on a life of its own! Legacy enables you to continue to bless, or curse, people long after you are gone.
Some people do not even positively impact people in their own lifetime. Yet great people live in such a way that long after they have departed, people still feel the positive impact of their lives. What a privilege to be able to bless your grandchildren!
How do you leave a legacy? By investing in people. Organizations will come and go, but people are eternal. You leave a legacy by investing in God’s work in people. Long after you have departed, God will still be working in the future generations. What God begins in your life, He may complete in your grandchildren. You won’t be there to see it, but God will be present to bring it to pass. Finally, you leave a legacy when you consciously invest in the next generation. You may not think you have time to mentor a junior colleague or to volunteer with your church’s youth program, but that is where the future is.
If you insist on living your life merely for today, you may discover your influence is short lived. But if you invest your time based on what has the greatest impact on the future, your life will continue to impact people for many years to come. Your life may be a vapor, but your influence will linger for generations to come.