[2020 Series] Legacy: Limited or Launched?Sample

Showing Off vs. Celebrating

Everyone wants to leave a legacy: to leave the world better than they found it. Most of us struggle with finding purpose and significance in our lives. When our purpose and significance are not rooted in God’s will, we tend to become insecure. To cover this insecurity, we desperately try to impress people. We talk about our accomplishments, and we show off “our treasures” just as King Hezekiah did. This is precisely what makes his story relatable.

Nevertheless, there is a crucial difference between showing off and celebrating. And there is even more of a difference between showing off your treasures to your enemies, and celebrating, or sharing good news with your friends. 

Sharing is based on connection and celebration. It is vital to have people in your life with whom you know it is safe to share. You know their hearts; they know your heart. Such friends fight the good fight with you. They are the ones who you call when you need prayer. They are always ready to stand with you against the enemy. They pray and believe that you will get that job or buy the house of your dreams. It is good and safe to share your treasures with them; you know that they will celebrate with you. There is no pride in sharing, just joy!

Other people envy because of their insecurities. If you tell them about your new job or promotion, they will say, “That must be nice.” It is impossible to share with them because they will never celebrate. Pay attention to what is in their hearts; you will recognize them by their fruit—their actions.

When we take a closer look at Hezekiah’s actions, we can see that he never celebrated God in front of his enemies. God tested Hezekiah’s heart, and his actions proved what was in his heart (2 Chronicles 32:31). His story teaches us that we can build a legacy to impress people and show off, full of earthly rewards; or we can build a legacy with heavenly rewards that will make people look up and celebrate God. 

We overcome pride with our praise: recognizing God in all of our ways. Praise God in a way that will make your enemies look up and say, “I want to trust in your God the same way you do!” Can you think of a better way to build a legacy and share the good news of Jesus?