Most of us give little though to our legacy. In fact, if we do begin to talk about it, people think we are reflecting on our death. For many, that seems like a “downer” topic. Most of the time we simply live our lives, do our job, and fulfill the responsibility to friends and family. If we are fortunate, there might be some financial reward for close family after we are gone.

Yet we should be thinking of our legacy now. You don’t build a roof or walls of a home until you pour the foundation. And a legacy isn’t something you create near the end of your productive years. No, our legacy is the accumulation of all that has transpired in our lives and how we handle these things.

One organization talks about the importance of legacy this way:

A legacy is a part of a person that lives on long after that person has passed…. Legacies are important pathways…in order make better decisions in life.

Some say that without a sense of working to create a legacy, people seem to lose meaning in their life. That may seem extreme, but as we get older, we see the value of our lives counting, especially to family, friends, and associates. Winston Churchill famously said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Leaving a legacy means giving of yourself so that others may benefit even after you are gone.

So, what does that mean for us today? Most importantly, our legacy can communicate to others on a spiritual level. Henry Blackaby says,

“How you live your life is a testimony of what you believe about God.”

The Israelites were instructed to pass on to their children what wonderous things the Lord had done. And not just tell them once or twice. They were to remind them over and over as a way of imbedding the goodness of God in their hearts.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NLT

On a ministry or business level, leaving a legacy ensures that the good work of the organization can continue beyond the current leader. Management guru Peter Drucker said, “There is no success without a successor.” That might seem a bit extreme, but it is a good principle to remember.

John Maxwell also values the importance of a legacy.

“Legacies that matter are connected with people. A hundred years from now all that will matter is the people that you connected with in such a way that you added value and meaning to their lives. I believe the greatest legacy a leader can leave is having developed other leaders.”

Gregory Fasig, writing for an online blog, talked about six things you can do to help the process of leaving a legacy.

  1. Define it. What is the legacy you wish to leave?
  2. Share it. Don’t keep it a secret.
  3. Live it. Leaving a meaningful legacy means living and breathing it every day. Your legacy is something you’re passionate about, and it should influence who you are and how you live your life daily.
  4. Support it. The legacies we wish to leave must be supported. This may mean financially supporting this area of your interest and passion.
  5. Grow it. Help others see the light and why they should support your mission.
  6. Celebrate it. It’s worthwhile to set aside time to assess and celebrate the legacy you seek to leave. What better way to raise awareness than to bring people together, affirm the core values and beliefs of your legacy, share your goals and progress toward those goals, and recruit their assistance.

Fred Smith was a great leader, mentor, and business consultant. He was asked about legacy…what he wanted other to remember about him. His reply was profound.

“When I was a young man, I sat on a tombstone, and asked myself what I wanted the top of it to say when I was underneath it rather than sitting on top of it. I decided that the three words I wanted on my tombstone were…

‘He stretched others…’”

Think about your legacy. Then, vow to do something that will impact others after you have moved on.