A Godly Legacy

I didn’t want to text back a simplistic response. I should take some time and search the Scriptures. Not that a quick answer is always wrong. Sometimes, when you know the truth, you don’t need to hesitate. But often, I’ve found that an immediate reply reveals more about what I think than what’s actually true.

You see, I’d gotten a text from a friend of mine who, after attending a funeral, wondered about who might show up at our own funerals when we’re gone. Will anyone miss us?

In a practical sense, it’s not important because we won’t be around to notice! But that doesn’t allay our concern. Let’s be real; we all want to be connected enough to others that when we leave this life, they’ll feel our absence.

As followers of Jesus, we realize that no earthly accolade compares to the honor of the Lord receiving us into His presence.

·       “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” - Matthew 25:21 (ESV)

·       “The King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” - Matthew 25:34

·       “In the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:8

No mention of a funeral in any of these verses; the focus is on the glory of being with our Savior forever!

And yet, we shouldn’t dismiss the question. Contemplating our own funeral shows that we take our lives seriously. We want to please God and bless people and if we’re falling short, we want to know now so we can do something about it with the time we have left.

What examples are in the Bible of people missing a deceased person? I found a few instances which kind of fit the description, and they all led me to reach a certain conclusion.

If you want people to miss you when you die, exercise your spiritual gifts.

Let’s see if my assessment is warranted.

Prophecy

“And as they were walking along and talking, behold, a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and they separated the two of them. Then Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. ¹²And Elisha was watching it and he was crying out, ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he did not see Elijah again. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³He also took up the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him, and he went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴Then he took the coat of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the waters, and said, ‘Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?’ And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.” - 2 Kings 2:11-14

The first example concerns two prophets, Elijah and Elisha. The former had taken on the latter as his apprentice, and God had made it clear that He was going to usher Elijah to heaven soon, so Elisha had to be ready for that event.

Well, that day arrived, and a fiery chariot swooped down, took Elijah, and brought him to the presence of God. I realize that Elijah didn’t die, so there was no funeral, but Elisha was distressed by his master’s departure.

Think about this. As the protege of Elijah, Elisha had seen the man prophesy and perform signs in the name of the Lord. And Elijah’s trip to heaven was certainly a sight to behold! Yet Elisha grieved the loss of his mentor. His chief emotion was sadness.

Another emotion might have been fear.

The Lord spoke and worked through Elijah. Would He work through Elisha? No one could help the young prophet; he would have to muster the courage to trust God for himself.

To prove himself a worthy successor to Elijah, he took the mantle of his master and asked for the Lord to work as He’d been doing before.

And God didn’t let him down! The Lord heard Elisha as He’d listened to Elijah. The young man now knew he could serve God well.

The training was successful. The ministry would continue because one prophet prepared another one.

It’s great that we use our spiritual gifts to accomplish God’s will but let’s also strive to train others. That way, our impact continues even after we’re gone. They may grieve our absence, but they’ll be able to continue advancing the business of God’s kingdom.

Evangelism

“Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned loudly for him.” - Acts 8:2

Stephen was one of the original seven deacons in the early church. This team helped distribute food to needy widows, and in doing so, they freed the apostles to focus on preaching, teaching, and praying.

So it looks as though the apostles had a verbal ministry while the deacons had a practical one. You wouldn’t expect Stephen to be a fluent speaker, but he was.

Stephen shared the gospel and debated with the Jews who opposed his message. This got him in trouble with the Sanhedrin (the Jewish religious court in Jerusalem) and his defense before them sealed his fate. The authorities were so outraged at his vision of Jesus Christ that they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death.

But some Christians tended to him as they could. They buried him and mourned the loss.

How has the Spirit anointed you to serve? Accept your role and minister with excellence, but don’t let yourself be limited by labels. If your aim is to exalt Jesus Christ, you’ll bless many within the church and the Lord may use you to win many souls to the Savior.

And if proclaiming the gospel proves dangerous, stay the course. Don’t give up! The Lord rewards those who remain loyal to Him!

Crafts

“So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the room upstairs; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.” - Acts 9:39

Okay, some background is in order!

After having preached several times in Jerusalem, the apostle Peter took his ministry on the road, traveling north and west from the city toward smaller towns, among them Lydda and Joppa, near the Mediterranean Sea.

In Joppa, a kind and generous lady named Tabitha (her name in Greek is “Dorcas” which means “gazelle”) became ill and the sickness took her life. Knowing Peter was nearby, the church asked him to come and help them with this situation.

Were I the apostle, I would be arranging a funeral service! But when Peter got there, he prayed for Tabitha and Jesus brought her back to life!

So the funeral was cancelled!

It’s wonderful to know that the God who did miracles through Old Testament prophets like Elijah and Elisha also performed signs through New Testament saints like Peter. The Lord doesn’t change!

But what I want to draw your attention to is how the believers mourned over Tabitha. The verse tells us that they showed Peter all the clothing she’d made when she was still alive.

That may not seem like much of a ministry compared to preaching the gospel or working miracles. But Tabitha made a big impact. She had the skill to make the clothes and she had a heart of mercy to motivate her. She was so effective that everyone pointed out what she’d done and lamented her passing.

Tabitha used her spiritual gifts to bless many people and they appreciated her. They just didn’t get a chance to host her funeral!

Don’t belittle your spiritual gift. What you do touches lives more than you may know. If God made you a seamstress, keep sewing!

Leadership

“And they all began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, ³⁸grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.” - Acts 20:37-38

On his trip back to Jerusalem, the apostle Paul visited several Christians and churches to check on them and encourage them in their labors. One of these groups was the elders of the church at Ephesus, and Paul gave them a stirring message. He recalled how he served Christ while with them, and he expected them to do the same in his absence.

It’s true that this passage doesn’t refer to a funeral, but sometimes, saying goodbye feels like a death in advance. You know the loved one is alive, but you can’t communicate or fellowship anymore. Your heart is heavy.

Paul got the elders ready for his departure by reminding them of his past interactions with them and instructing them about what they would encounter in the future.

Could the Ephesian elders handle their duties? Paul believed they could; he trusted the power of God’s Word and His Spirit to help them disciple the saints and win the lost.

But maybe some of the elders were a little less certain! It’s a comfort to lead when you know you have a more experienced leader backing you up. But there comes a time when that relationship changes; now, people are relying on you. Will you live up to your calling?

“And now I entrust you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” - Acts 20:32

God’s Word will not disappoint us; as we rely on it, we fulfill our responsibilities in ways that glorify Jesus.

Use your spiritual gifts to serve the Lord and care for others. When you do, you’re creating a legacy God will bless and people will honor.

(The verses in this post are from the NASB20 version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.)

(Image is from https://bit.ly/4p2LmqV.)