Everyone Leaves A Story

The idea of a person’s legacy has been on our minds quite a bit recently. In the matter of only a couple weeks, we have witnessed the deaths of a pop star, a soldier in Iraq, a TV spokesman, and a young member of our own congregation. Regardless of the differences in the ways they each conducted their lives, there is one thing that all of them had in common when they passed from this life: they left a life story. Some stories are positive, filled with accomplishments, accolades, and ways we have affected the world around us. Other life stories are negative, focusing on shortcomings, eccentricities, and failures. So how will your story read? “Will you leave people trying to unravel your life to determine who you really were, and what you were really all about? Make no mistake about it.  You have a life story.  Just as your father and grandfather before you” (Guard Your Heart, Rosberg, p. 38). Ask yourself a few questions as you ponder this:

 

  • If my friends and family had to sum up my life in a few words, what would they be?
  • Would I fill up a funeral home, or have I failed to affect that many people? Would people have to awkwardly muddle their way through a eulogy because nobody remembers anything noteworthy about my life?
  • Am I a hero to my children? Will they have lingering, nagging questions about whether or not I loved them? Do I tell them enough now? Will they wonder if I was proud of them?
  • How will my mate remember me? Will she remember me as being a “sell out”? Will he be relieved when I am gone? Would my spouse marry me again if given another chance?
  • Is my life story, my legacy, one that people will want to hear about years from now?
  • What kind of inconsistencies will people remember about me?

Confusing Stories

So many people end up leaving behind a confusing or contradictory life story. One man, in particular, who has left us a little baffled is King Solomon. Here is an individual who started out so strong in life, who was so humble and obedient to God that he was given tremendous and abundant blessings (1 Kings 3:9-13), yet seems to have stumbled near the end of the race. “For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods” (1 Kings 11:4). His life story was so inconsistent, in fact, that he was used by successive generations as a warning against unfaithfulness. “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin” (Nehemiah 13:26). In this wise king’s affairs we find the depths of foolishness. In his splendorous living, we find waste and opulence. His blessings became his curse. We are left perplexed by him, not comforted, just as with many other Bible characters who seem destined to defeat themselves with contradictory life stories. Adam, Noah, Gideon, Samson, Saul, Uzziah,  and many others often leave us in doubt about their overall success as men of God.

The problem with this kind of life story is that it can be very destructive to people around us. Such stories cause some people to become discouraged, thinking, “Well, if they could not remain faithful, what hope or chance do I have?” Especially when we hear about preachers, elders, deacons, or their families who fall away, these contradictory stories may cause stumbling. For example, Paul seemed highly discouraged by the apparent spiritual failure of a man named Demas (Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:10). In hindsight, we may have to wonder about our own life stories:

  • “Did I stand up for sound doctrine all my life, right until the last few years when I began deviating further and further from my ideals?”
  • “Was I a faithful spouse through thick and thin, during the toughest years when we had no money and several small children, but gave in to temptation when the trials passed?”
  • “Did I go to church all those years, put on a good show, participate in every way, and then go off the deep end with no rhyme or reason?”
  • “Was I given all the spiritual opportunities in the world, like a great preacher, great congregation, great spouse, yet misused them?”

Hidden Life Stories

One writer noted, “Identify any current aspect of your life which is ‘hidden’ or ‘secret’ and which you would regret others finding out about after your death.  What must you do about it immediately in order to be living honorably, openly, and sincerely?  Commit now to doing what you know you must do” (Rosberg p. 42). Another danger to your life story is living in a duplicitous way. Even Jesus noted that some religious people only act spiritual, appearing beautiful on the outside (Matthew 23:25). Paul also warns us about hidden sins eventually coming to light. “The sins of some are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be concealed” (1 Timothy 5:24-25). “Be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

When all has been said and done, are you living the kind of life that you would want people talking about? If every fact came to light, and your bad habits, secret indulgences, and hidden ugliness were exposed, would you feel comfortable with a tell-all biography about yourself? Are there skeletons in your closet? In the media we are often exposed to a celebrity’s unauthorized life story, in which close companions relate hidden faults or shortcomings about their famous friend. In a spiritual sense, we are all in the process of having our unauthorized biographies written. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the flesh, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). “For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Do we really want our life story to include a chapter at the end which describes our downfall? Do we want to have the same kind of notoriety as many celebrities who die young and suddenly? “Wow! I never knew he had a drug problem!” “I could never tell that she had so much anger!” “Who would have thought that he could have such an addiction!” “Her temper always seemed to get the best of her.”

A Blessing To Future Generations

Your life story will either be remembered with fondness by all, or it will be seen as a dark page in family or congregational history. We should make it our goal to be the former. “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7). God remembers those who are righteous, and so do our loved ones who are left to carry on the memories. Speaking contextually of the coming of the Christ, Psalm 22:30 makes an interesting statement; “Posterity will serve Him; it will be told of the Lord to the coming generations.” In a similar way, posterity serves us when we leave behind a life story that is encouraging and useful as a model for the Christian faith. It will be told of us to future generations, as well – perhaps not by name as a celebrity, or with our names on a plaque or statue, but future Christians will look back with pride on the work we are doing now. God’s name will be glorified because of the righteous stand we are taking as His people.

Not only that, but my influence will continue to affect people long after I am gone, simply because of the resounding nature of my example. The same was said of Old Testament heroes, and their New Testament successors. “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through the perseverance and encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4). “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). “Show yourself to be an example of good deeds” (Titus 2:7). Our hard work and faithfulness can be so resounding, in fact, that we can reach people many generations after our physical deaths. “And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David” (2 Chronicles 17:3).

Finishing Strong

We should want the end of our stories to be just as encouraging as the beginning, avoiding the tendency of even some heroes to fall apart in their waning days. History is filled with examples of presidents, kings, war heroes, etc., who met their darkest days and were defeated by demons at the end of their lives. How sad to have years of promise and fruitfulness nullified by equal time spent in futility and abandonment.

Care should be taken that we ensure our final days are glorious ones, and that our life stories end on a high note. Nobody is exempt from the danger, either! “Take heed that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12); “Be careful how you walk” (Ephesians 5:15); “Let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it” (Hebrews 4:1). Finishing strong means remaining sound and biblical in your thinking. It means never allowing yourself to entertain thoughts of moral or spiritual compromise. It means being as steadfast against sin and temptation as in any other time in life. After all, do we not want it said of ourselves, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)?