A legacy
by Maria Rudolph
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I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace (Acts 20:24).
Read Acts 20:17–38
Who would you gather around you if you had to say farewell forever and move to a different place? What would you say to these people? And what might your legacy be in their eyes? How would you like to be remembered?
After establishing and nurturing the Ephesian church, Paul was led to the next place by the Holy Spirit. He had worked hard to establish a good leadership team whom he had equipped with all he had to preach about the gospel. Paul gathered these elders at his departure. He continued to stay in contact with them, as we can see from Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. It shows that a number of the inklings the Holy Spirit gave Paul had come true: ‘I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock’ (Acts 20:29). In response, Paul wrote to the Ephesians about clothing themselves in the armour of God and to pray in all circumstances (Ephesians 6:13–18). Paul also said, ‘I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me’ (Acts 20:23). He later writes to them as an ‘ambassador in chains’ (Ephesians 6:20).
Paul keeps his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, although the places he gets sent to are anything but a walk in the park. Paul has complete obedience to God’s will. Like an Olympic runner, he keeps encouraging us to stay the course. At the end of his life, he writes to Timothy: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness’ (2 Timothy 4:6,7). Yet, for Paul, gaining even the crown of life was never his motivation. He reminds the Ephesian elders in his farewell speech of the words Jesus himself spoke: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Wouldn’t it be amazing to leave a legacy of faithfulness? Wouldn’t it be great to be remembered for godliness? We can do this one prayer at a time. One faithful act after another. ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10).
Dear God, take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria loves serving God through the LCANZ and currently does this at St John’s Perth as a pastoral associate and volunteers at Concordia Duncraig in Western Australia. She enjoys being part of a Way Forward Working Group and tackling current theological issues on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations. Her three kids and pastor husband keep her very happy and busy.
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