Legacy

What type of Legacy are you going to leave behind? 

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably thought a lot about what’s coming up next: the next school dance, the next game or tryout, the next test, or even what’s next after high school. Looking forward keeps us motivated and prepared. But people who make the most impact don’t just look at what’s next for themselves—they focus on what’s next for their role and their team, the ones they’re leaving behind. If you’re leading others and making an impact, what will happen when you leave? Who will step in to take your place? In other words, what’s next?

Great leaders leave a legacy. They do what’s necessary to make sure what they’re leading continues after they’ve left (sometimes even better than when they were leading it). These leaders bring other, less-experienced leaders under their wing. They invest in the people who will eventually take their spot, and they make decisions that will last beyond their own involvement. Ultimately they care more about others than themselves. 

Josiah was a king of Judah who was left with a terrible legacy. The kings before him had abandoned God, set up all sorts of altars and idols to other gods, and led the people of Israel in sinful practices. So Josiah had to make a lot of decisions and sacrifices in order to undo a bad legacy and bring the nation back to God. He cared about what was next for others; he’s even a part of the chain of events that led to Jesus (check out Jesus’ genealogy). If Josiah hadn’t decided to change the legacy of his nation from negative to positive, we might not even have the Old Testament in our Bibles today. Check out his story in 2 Kings.

Read 2 Kings 22:11–13; 23:1–5