A Godly Legacy - Samuel

Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah.

1 Samuel 25:1

One of the most important questions you will ever have to ask yourself is, How do I want to be remembered? What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind?

Dictionaries define the word legacy as something passed down from one generation to the next. In the spiritual context, your legacy refers to the things you do and say to influence those around you, beginning with your wife, children, and other family members, and extending out to the rest of your world.

Think of your spiritual legacy as the eternal inheritance you will leave behind.

The prophet Samuel made a big impression on everyone who knew him. The Bible tells us that when he died, the entire nation mourned his passing. Though the people didn’t always listen to him or heed his warnings, everyone in Israel gathered to pay their respects when he passed away.

Samuel left behind a legacy of faith, obedience, and courage because he faithfully and consistently took God at his word, acted on what he knew God wanted, and refused to worry about personal consequences.

The Israelites didn’t remember Samuel as a man of great means or as a great entertainer. They mourned him as a man who faithfully loved and served God and his people.

Samuel teaches us that our primary goal in life should always be to make a positive mark for the Kingdom of God. When our time on earth draws to a close, it won’t matter how much money we made or what we accomplished in the business world. What will matter are the souls we touched because we followed in Samuel’s footsteps by living with faith, obedience, and courage.

The things you do and say on earth, through faith, will determine the legacy you leave behind. What you leave behind for your children will have a great effect, for either good or evil, on them, your children’s children, and the people in their lives. Make the positive choice.