Ten truths lead to a life that matters
How do you want to be remembered?
By Dr. Dan Erickson
CrossCurrents Magazine, August 2007
What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
Our legacy is the impression and impact we leave behind. When your loved ones or friends stand before your casket, what do you want them to say about you? Will it be:
There is nothing wrong with any of these things, but is this how you want to be remembered? Fortunately, you can determine your legacy by decisions that you make now.
But what’s more important than people’s praise is what God will say at the end of your life. My dad was called a fool for taking five kids out on a reservation to minister to Native Americans. And yet for 38 years his life echoed in eternity. Someday he will stand before God and receive a crown of righteousness and be told, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Why did he do it? He knew life was not about him or the present. It was about God, others and eternity.
What kind of legacy do you want to leave for your family, church and world? In order to leave a legacy that counts, we must discover our God-given potential and then fulfill it. In other words, we must find our “Greater Yes!” Most people live and die never knowing what their “Greater Yes!” is.
What are the factors that propel us to our “Greater Yes?” In order to discover it, we must:
1. Enlarge our vision (Proverbs 29:18). If we don’t have a God-inspired vision, then we have nothing motivating us to act.
2. Understand our true value (John 15:9). We must understand that God calls us His best and His own.
3. Get relationship, not religion (Romans 8:14-17). God desires an intimate relationship with us that is not dependent on our past or good works.
4. Allow God to transform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). God is more concerned about our inside (our heart) than our outside (occupation, location, etc.).
5. Raise our level of expectancy (Isaiah 40:28-31). Ask God for change and expect it. You won’t be disappointed.
6. Discover the power of our thoughts and words (Phil. 4:8; Prov. 23:7). Proper thinking and speaking lead to proper living that propels us to our potential.
7. Let go of the past (Phil. 3:13-14). Exercise forgiveness so that the past doesn’t live in your present and rob you of your future. Realize that failing does not make you a failure.
8. Find strength through difficulties and adversities (Luke 11:9-13). It is when we are squeezed that we truly see our need for God.
9. Choose your own destiny (John 13). Life is not about serving ourselves, but descending and becoming a servant. Which path will you take?
10. Fly with eagles (Isaiah 40:28-31). We will become like those we soar with. The people we spend time with will help us fly or keep us grounded.
Dr. Dan Erickson believes life is too short to spend it on something that doesn’t really matter. A leader in churches and parachurch ministries for nearly four decades, Dan stepped out on his own to launch People Matter Ministries in 2002. The heartbeat of this ministry is Dan’s conviction that God has given every believer a unique mission to fulfill. Dan calls this our “fingerprint of potential” or “Greater Yes!” He is the author of “Finding Your Greater Yes!” and is writing “God Loves Do-Overs” along with his wife Cathy. Dan lives in Lee’s Summit, Mo. He and Cathy have two children and six grandchildren.