Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 299 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Legacy vs. Inheritance
Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 299 of our trek, and yesterday we remained at camp around the campfire and explored the importance of investing time to relax and recharge as part of our life. I do struggle with this on a personal level but am committed to making a little R&R part of my regular schedule.
Today we will head back out and compare the trails of inheritance versus legacy. While there may be some cross over, they are distinctively different. Since we started our trek on day 0, today is our 300th day on the trails of life. Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume small “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We have had some real beautiful spring days this week, the daffodils are in full bloom, and watching our pair of hawks outside our office window as been an awesome sight. I have also included a couple of pictures from the refinished library in today’s journal. We will have to let the polyurethane on the floor dry solid before moving the furniture back in this weekend.
It is now time to break camp and head out to explore a couple of trails that are similar but can be drastically different. Since one of the objectives on our Wisdom-Trek is to create a living legacy each day, we want to make sure that we have a clear understanding of the difference between:
Legacy vs. Inheritance
So often we tend to equate legacy to inheritance, but in fact, they are very different things. Inheritance is about money and possessions but legacy is about the person. Let’s think about it in these two descriptions.
Inheritance is something you leave. Legacy is something you place in them. An inheritance is something given to a person. A legacy is something done in a person. When you leave something behind as an inheritance, the recipients are temporarily happy and satisfied. But when you leave them a legacy they are permanently transformed. If you have been on our Wisdom-Trek over the past 300 days, you know that one of our primary focuses is not just to leave a legacy when you die, but to impact everyone each day through a living legacy that will change eternity.
The truth of the matter is that we need to be much more concerned about our legacy each day than the inheritance we will leave some day. Sure, we need to make sure our wills and other financial areas are in place and protected for the next generation. The Bible mentions inheritance nearly 60 times, so it does have an importance in our lives, such as is mentioned in Proverbs 13:22, “Good people leave an inheritance to their grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth passes to the godly.”
Even with its importance, legacy goes far beyond the time the money or stuff runs out. Legacy is eternal. Inheritance is gifts received. Legacy is values imparted into someone else. Inheritance is a temporary reward. Legacy is an eternal reward. One day we will all die, and we can’t take anything with us. That is why it is important that we live with our eternal impact in mind. That impact is the one thing that will last forever.
We need to first be sure our eternity is secure and that we have dealt with the reality of sin in our lives. We will stand before God and give account. We need to be sure we are ready for that meeting and that we have dealt with the things that will keep us from an eternity with Him. Then we need to be focused on living our positive legacy that will impact others for eternity. We all will leave a legacy. It isn’t optional. It happens because of the way we live. We need to make sure we are living in such a manner that it is creating the kind of legacy we want to leave. Examine your priorities. God wants to live and leave a legacy through you each day of your life. He wants to put value in your life. He wants to put something that is forever in your life.
As stated, the fact of the matter is that we create a legacy while we live. It isn’t something that magically appears as we pass from this earth through death. It is something we create intentionally while we live. This is why it is important to have a life plan based on your purpose for your life. So our life plan becomes the foundation for our legacy plan. As we live each day, we are putting our legacy in place. The people we touch, the things we teach, the moments we create, the love we share…they all go into creating our legacy.
Inheritance leaves behind a monument, but legacy is a movement that continually perpetuates. An inheritance can help us to expand our legacy, but it is not our legacy. Our living legacy is a success that is continually going on. With a monument, it will be destroyed over time, but with a legacy it is a movement that will never die. The impact of our lives can last if we make sure to do the things that matter most while we are living.
What does your living legacy look like? That is how it will impact eternity. How intentional are you today in creating your legacy for tomorrow? If you died today, what would your legacy look like? I have more work to do, so I’m not ready for that. I doubt you are either. We need to get ready today because we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we can know who holds tomorrow! Let us use Ephesians 5:1-2 as a basis for creating and living our legacy each day, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”
As we hike our 300th day on our Wisdom-Trek, let me read the vision which is on the Wisdom-Trek.com website. Our vision is that together we will create a legacy of wisdom and seek out discernment and insights to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before and live long and prosper as a result. Tomorrow we will hike on an interesting trail as we discover the Wisdom of Silence. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our podcast for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!