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Leaving a legacy Song: When saints are marching to Heaven
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (John 6:27). “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (John 6:27). Your work must outlive you and above all, your work must stand the test of time if you must leave a legacy behind. You cannot afford to be myopic if you intend to make great impact on the lives of others. I urge you all to take a giant step back and look at your lives thus far. How does it look? Are you happy? Sad? Disappointed? Bemused? Woeful? A good person? Moreover, how does your job, career and profession fit into the picture of you? What do you want people to say about you at your funeral? How do you want to be remembered? These are great questions and worthy to be pondered upon. These questions force one to put the important things in one's life in perspective. Getting your values and priorities right! Would I want people to say, 'Bro. John Oseh was a good man, a good friend, and a good father? He made a difference for me and he left the world a better place than how he found it.' No mention of your wealth here, or your level of education, or your titles in the society or associations. But just that when you were once here on earth you did good things. That’s enough and a decent legacy to leave. How do you want to be remembered as a Christian and a member of that particular Church? How do you want to be remembered? When you die, how would you like people me to remember you; to think about you as a colleague? Some people really don’t think much about how they want to be remembered by their friends and colleagues. It is usually the younger men and women, who are early in their careers, and are healthy who have not yet faced either the thought or possibility of retiring with or without their boots on. But as one gets older and begins to approach the end of his or her career one begins to think about the legacy, the contribution to the world he or she has made, and how it will be perceived by peers. Somehow this becomes a target and you’ll need to do a lot more to get there. In Psalm 90:12 the scripture says: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” So you must start thinking now of how you want to be remembered. How time flies they say and this is very correct. In just a spit of seconds we are no more. Paul said: “Time is short.” (1 Corinthians 7:21). Life is like that gorgeous flower that you plug in the morning but the beauty fades away in the evening. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,” (1 Peter 1:24). Don’t wait until the last quarter of your life to begin to think about the lasting contribution that you can make to the world. So “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3: 23 – 24). The late American actor, Gregory Peck was asked in an interview toward the end of his life how he would want to be remembered. He gave an interesting answer. He said most of all that he wanted to be remembered as a good husband and father. He wanted his children and grandchildren to remember him as a good father and grandfather. He wanted his wife to remember him as someone who made her life as happy as she had made his. Then he went on to say that professionally he wanted to be remembered as a good story teller; to have done some work that would stand the test of time; to convey a meaningful story; to hold an audience from start to finish and for people to say he told the story well and that it was a story worth hearing, a story that brought enjoyment and had value. What are you doing to make a lasting contribution to your profession, family, the Church, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, your various ministries etc? There are three types of contributors in our world: One contributor is a hard working person who reports to work daily and does his or her job well. Who is very active in the prayer group and ministry activities. As a result of that person’s contribution, things worked out well. And that’s good. When you retire or old, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that all went well during your time. Another type of contributor displays unusual leadership ability and excels in reaching out to his or her peers. This contributor writes and speaks and shares and when he or she retires, leaves behind a body of work that, at least for a few years, serves the profession by educating and inspiring a new generation of professionals who can take over. This is no small achievement but it is still not a lasting contribution. The third type of contributor is the person whose ideas are fresh and dynamic. They’re people who make a contribution that, should it end due to retirement or death, is sorely missed. They make contributions that can be taken over by someone else upon their exit from the scene, or their contributions simply live on with a life of their own. These contributors are leaders who inspire others to become leaders. They are doers who inspire others to become doers. And they are people who take on the difficult projects because they know that if it is to happen, they must make it happen. In order to leave a legacy behind we are called to be role models and we need to make impact on the lives of people. For any quality to have positive impact on others it must be associated with heart, emotions, flexibility, logistic and administrative thoroughness and openness to change. 1. Motivator: role models should be able to motivate people to become the best they can be, reaching their potential as they come to believe in their own self-worth, acknowledging that they have control over things that happen to them most of the time. 2. Respectful: role models should be able to let people know that they are valuable and valued. When they feel safe, liked and respected, they will feel connected with everyone in the society. Have and communicate realistic, yet high expectations. Remember, that when a role model empowers people, he/she is not just influencing them, but also influencing all the people they influence e.g. peers, family etc. But I do not mean that you should compromise your christian values. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. (Acts 4:19). Paul said: “For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” (2 Corinthians 8:21). You will live a balance life if you harmonise the two scriptural passages above. 3. Route-finder: role models should be wise guide to others as they discover more about themselves, come to believe in their own abilities and deal with a variety of adolescent issues. Unafraid to negotiate clear boundaries and understanding the consequences when they cross these boundaries. 4. Open-minded: being non-judgmental, role models accept others as they are; also remain objective, able to look at all sides of an argument, situation etc. encouraging them to interact positively with others and learn how to cope with new situations. “ My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (James 1:19). 5. Reflecting: taking time out to teach others how to review their situations, looking for the positives, the affirming opportunities, and learning from mistakes and other life experiences. 6. Fun-loving: have lots of fun together; nurture a sense of humour; role model to others what it means to laugh at oneself. “ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12:16). 7. Integrity: being honest and truthful at all times; being consistent and showing up on time; upright and reliable; committed to the relationship; someone others can depend on. Be authentic. 8. Empathetic: being able to do your level best to place yourself in the shoes of others to understand them better, will help role models to inspire them to greatness! 9. Nurturing: creating a supportive relationship when others feel cared for, affirmed and encouraged. The key is to be a great LISTENER; commit to them; believe in them; be accessible to them; give unconditionally. 10. Developmental: encourage others to become the people they wish to be, a process that takes time and requires patience, perseverance and the understanding that the development of a friendship is a process that takes time. No “saviours” or “quick fixes” are needed. 11. Sincerity: role models must be themselves at all times; be genuine - this implies that you are aware of your innermost thoughts and feelings, accept them and, when appropriate, share them responsibly (self-expression); that you know yourself (self-awareness); and you accept yourself (self-acceptance) - role model a spirit of servanthood. “ We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.” (2 Corinthians 10:13). Conclusion: I often pray that my life and ministry will not have done too much damage to my family, friends, colleagues and congregations. If the credits of my ministry even slightly out-weigh the debits then that will be an expression of God's grace. As Christians, let us strive first and foremost to be good role models to those closest to us. May our acting be a reflection of who we are at home. May we also learn to do our craft well - to be good story tellers. May we have done the work of the Gospel in ways that will stand the test of time. May we tell the stories of Jesus in relevant and meaningful forms that are worth hearing, bringing enjoyment and adding eternal value to people's lives. God bless you Evang. Oseh J. B |