THE WEEKLY WORD: What is your legacy?

By Pastor Paul & Dixie Phillips, Gospel Lighthouse Church, Floyd

Have you ever noticed obscure names in the Bible? They aren’t mentioned real often, but they do appear tucked in a verse here or there. A lot of times when the Apostle Paul ended his letters to the churches, he mentioned some of these unknown people. Let’s look at a few of these.

For Demas, in love with this present world has deserted me …

— 2 Timothy 4:10

Demas’ legacy includes defection and betrayal. When given the opportunity to follow Christ and be a blessing to Paul, Demas was gone.

And what about Alexander the coppersmith that Paul wrote about?

Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.

— 2 Timothy 4:14

Two thousand years later Alexander’s legacy still follows him.

Paul mentioned another man we don’t know much about. His name is Tychicus, but his legacy is so different than Demas’ or Alexander’s.

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord …

— Ephesians 6:21

What a beautiful legacy! Notice no possessions, property, or money are mentioned. His legacy was being a dear brother and a faithful servant. His legacy had eternal value. He never wrote a book of the Bible, but he was faithful. Faithfulness matters to God and His kingdom.

These Scriptures make us think a little deeper, don’t they? They make us pause and ask ourselves, “What kind of legacy are we leaving for those who follow us?”

We might not have great talent or wealth to offer, but that doesn’t matter. The greatest legacies that leave their mark on our lives are simply those Christian believers who keep showing up and living their faith unashamed in their homes and communities.

Sometimes the greatest ability we have is dependability. Legacy isn’t leaving something “for” people. It’s leaving an eternal deposit “in” people.

This week our congregation lost a faithful member. Sharon Clay went home to be with the Lord. Sharon has been a dear friend of our family and ministry since before we moved to Floyd to pastor the Gospel Lighthouse Church.

She left a lasting legacy on all of us who knew and loved her. Her “footprints” can be felt in our soul. Her lifetime love for the Lord and her loyal heart for others was her legacy. She will never be forgotten.

What will be your legacy?

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Pastor Paul and Dixie Phillips have been honored to serve the Gospel Lighthouse Church, 205 Madison Street, in Floyd, since 1981. Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m., and worship services are at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday night Bible study is at 6:30.

To find out more about the church and ministry go to www.floydslighthouse.com.