“What will be your legacy to future generations should the Lord tarry? For that matter, what kind of gift are you giving to those around you at present? What kind of person do people see when they observe your life? You are very fortunate. I have shown you the kind of character that truly pleases Me. Of course, there is Jesus. He is the One that each of you should emulate. His life was perfect. Throughout the years, however, I have been pleased with many of My children. Their greatest asset was the understanding that their lives really meant something, and they sought to find that meaning by seeking My heart; and then they followed what they learned from Me.

"I observe the lives of you and your generation. It appears to Me that most of you have given little thought to the fact that you are building a legacy. You seem to go about your days focused on your personal, earthly portfolio and have little concern about the impact it has on those who will follow you. I am not impressed at how much you have in the bank, how big your house is; or for that matter, how big your church is. It all came from Me anyway. I am impressed with how much you honor My reputation, how much you value what was done for you on Calvary; and how much you love others. Everything else matters little to Me.

"When was the last time that you began your day with the intent to honor Me in all that you did that day as your priority? When was the last time you determined in your heart to show everyone you met how valuable Jesus is to you? Have you ever begun your day with the goal of caring only for the needs of others, setting your own desires aside completely? That is the stuff I care about. I ask you this. After I call you home, what will people remember most about you? In the same way, what will you have in your portfolio to give to Me?”

Exodus 33:13 NIV

“If I have found favor in your eyes, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.”

2 Cor. 3:2-3 NIV 

2) You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.

3) You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Heb. 12:1 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

One of the realizations that came to me some time ago is the fact that I can do nothing about what I have already done. It’s true. I can mend some broken fences, heal some soiled relationships, and rethink some of the mistakes; but I can’t undo what has already been established as my life. It is what will be presented to the Lord as my legacy when I face Him.

That frightened me enough to push the pause button. In my pondering, the Lord showed me that every action I take, every move I make, every situation I face, every interaction I have, and every word I say are creating my legacy. The moment they occur, they are unchangeable, cut in stone for eternity. I wanted to stop time, move the clock back, erase the board, and hide away until I could come up with a better game plan than I had so far. It was a very rude awakening.

After I pushed away a feeling of panic, wanting to try to stop my life from infecting more people adversely, I realized two things. First, the Lord showed me that His abundant mercy more than covered my abundant foolishness. He had it covered! Whew!!

Second, now that I was aware of the fact that my life really mattered to the plan of God, I had a responsibility to do something about it. The bottom line was I called myself a Christian, so I represented Jesus in everything I did or said whether I wanted to or not. I am the letter that He sends to those in my determined circle of influence. I am what He looks like to the grocer, the baker, and the candlestick maker. What I say and do to them is, in their eyes and in the eyes of My Father, my representation of Jesus. They see who He is by who I am!

One day I will see how well I did. I’m sure that my legacy will be covered in abundant mercy, but will it look like a crown?

Needing to really understand the impact of my life,

Jim Corbett