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What Legacy Are We Really Building?

My company has an intranet where employees can post announcements, photos, and occasional blog entries. Last week, a colleague shared a post about Milton Hershey and the legacy of love and generosity he left behind.

It was a wonderful tribute to how Hershey used his wealth to serve others and how his life continues to impact people long after his death.

The post moved me to leave a comment:

"The great thing about a legacy is that we never quite know what it will look like. And ultimately, the only legacy worth having is one that points back to Christ."

It's easy to become discouraged when you're not a wealthy business owner or someone with the financial means to support large charities and organizations. We often measure legacy by influence, titles, accomplishments, or the size of a bank account.

Yet even during my relatively short time here, I've witnessed powerful legacies in action. I've seen people quietly invest in others, encourage coworkers, extend kindness when it wasn't expected, and faithfully serve those around them. Their impact may never make headlines, but it leaves a mark on the people they encounter every day.

The truth is, I struggle with the idea of legacy more often than I'd like to admit.

For much of my life, I've wanted to make a name for myself. I've chased goals, dreams, and accomplishments that I believed would give meaning to my time here on earth. In many ways, I've been focused on building my own legacy.

But as I continue to mature in my faith, I'm beginning to see things differently.

Jesus is the only legacy truly worth living for.

The older I get, the more I realize that a life well-lived isn't measured by how many people remember my name. It's measured by whether my life reflected His. The goal isn't to build a monument to myself, but to point others toward Christ.

As I move closer to 40, I find myself asking a different question than I did when I was younger.

I'm no longer asking, "What legacy will I leave behind?"

Instead, I'm asking, "How much of my life is pointing to Christ, and how much of it is still about pointing to me?"

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