The Legacy
My most “recent” near-death experience was my fifth one, and it happened when I was 14 years old. As I was a teenager, and older than during my previous experiences, I was much more aware of how quickly life can end.
After that experience, my desire to leave a legacy in this world rapidly started to increase. I wanted to start doing something with my life that would leave a positive impact, not just for myself but also for my family, friends, community and the whole world!
One major thing I learned, and am still learning, is to focus on heavenly things rather than earthly things. Anyone who has had a near death experience can probably agree that in a moment like that, all that counts are things such as love, peace, hope, joy, grace, forgiveness, mercy, harmony and relationships. It’s not about having followers, fame, money, possessions or even what we do with our bodies.
I have no clue if you have ever had a near death experience or not. But I personally believe that every person is born with a purpose and that we have the responsibility to unlock it so that we can make the world a better place. There is far more to life than just working hard without having any passion in order to fulfil our outward desires or just getting “everything” that the world can offer.
In this blog I will share about the legacy I want to leave; how I discovered it and then what to do with what God plants in our souls. This blog is inspired by a passage from Matthew 4: 18-20: Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew. They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed. (MSG – emphasis my own)
This passage describes how Jesus left a legacy in the work and ministry he did on Earth. After his death, some of His disciples became ministers and church builders – a legacy that still exists today and will continue to forever.
Come with me
The legacy I want to leave is to lift up, cherish, and add value to people from different communities and cultures on a global scale. There are so many times when I have been crushed by others, rather than built up, and I don’t want others to experience what I have. Everybody everywhere has the same value and the same right to be and do the things they are passionate about.
Before I could discover what kind of legacy I want to leave, I had to watch and follow people who have gone before me. There are several people, whether they know me or not, who have inspired what I want to do.
Jesus challenged the disciples to “Come (with me)” so that they could learn about the great things he had done or was about to do. It’s kind of funny that Jesus called the disciples at their busiest time. David Guzik says “God usually calls people while they are busy doing something.“1 “Come with me” is not just a command but it can be a very powerful tool to go along with somebody and see how the person does the work. Often, once we see something new, we start to see what can be different in our own situations, which leads to changes.
Change
After Jesus says to the disciples “come with me” he continues with “I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you” (v.19) We all like being comfortable but we also like to have “new”! This unfortunately doesn`t happen though. We can`t have “new” without leaving the comfort zone. In another words, we need to change!
Obviously change doesn`t just happen, it has to be planned, structured and it can also be put off. Growing up in a little town in Switzerland, over years I realised at some point that I haven`t changed a lot. But watching others at that time who lived outside of the town and did greater things in the world, I started to realise what can happen with ones life. It took me a couple of years to learn that when I want to see the bigger things that were connected to the legacy, I have to move and make the change happen! There is no growth without change and there is no change without challenges – challenges are needed in order for us to be changed and to grow.
We feel like our comfort zone is a great thing, but it`s even greater to have the “new us“ and the changes. Change before you have to or before God changes you. When He makes the change(s) you need in order to live in His given purpose/calling, it’s usually a sign that it`s time. The longer you wait to change the harder it is and the more painful it will be!
Do it
After seeing how do to things and making the decision to make necessary changes, there comes the point of doing it.
The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions. In v. 20 it says: “They didn’t ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.“ In another words, they saw how to do the work they were taught to, made the necessary changes they needed to and then they did it.
Once we see the work we have to do in order to change, we usually become mature by doing it by ourselves. Doing it for ourselves for a while, we are then able to apply this to other people in order to leave a legacy. “The most effective way to mentor and ramp people up is the same way craftspeople have done for years: 1. Do it. 2. I do it — and you watch, 3. You do it – and I watch, 4. You do it.“2
When I finished at Hillsong International Leadership College in December 2015 I knew what I wanted to do but I didn`t know how to apply what I`d learned in order to build my inspirational ministry. I became very anxious for a while, but then I realised that the anxiety wouldn’t go away until I stepped out and started with what God has called me to do. Often we are waiting for the miracle to happen so that we can then do what God has called us to do. But God usually sends the miracles after we step out and start doing the things He has called us to do! Why should He give you the miracles, provision etc. when you`re still in the comfort zone?
I like the famous motto of the World class company Nike: Just do it! 🙂
I hope I`ve given you an injection of encouragement to think about living out your legacy. May this year be a year of leaving a legacy in the people you work with, the people you do life with, and the people you get in touch with!
With many legacies!
Nathanael
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