“David served the purpose of God in his generation.” (Acts 13:36) Death is inevitable. All die and should give an account of self to God. (Hebrews 9:27) God has a plan and will for each one born in this world. Discovering God’s plan and discerning His will is real wisdom. There are four things a person leaves when s/he dies.
Memories: The near and dear ones have great memories. People would remember the joyful, bold, sad, distressful, humorous, and painful moments that they had experienced with the dead person. It is a more subjective experience. When all people who know the dead person dies, the memories also die.
Souvenirs: The personal items of a person could be called souvenirs. The people close to the dead person would like to keep them as a memory or memento. The photos, videos, dresses, gadgets, specks, certificates, passports…etc. As days pass on, it may not be of any value, and end up in trash cans.
Trophies: Certain accomplishments are rewarded with trophies. Being part of a sports team, a global conference, a gold medal in university, the best performance in various fields, awards given by the government, global institutions…etc. Some may have a few, others may have many such prized trophies. Sometimes, children and grandchildren of the dead preserve them. Heads of government trophies are preserved in museums.
Material Legacy: A person could leave a material legacy like a house, property, assets, gold…etc. This would naturally go to the children or the person may give it to some organizations or institutions. Some create a scholarship fund or start an institution.
Spiritual Legacy: This could have a ripple effect in the world, and extend to eternity. Leading a person to Lord Jesus Christ will impact that person in this life. When that person makes more disciples, the process continues affecting many contexts. When a sinner repents there is a great celebration in Heaven, and they become eternal friends of those who lead him/her to light. (Luke 16:9) David’s psalms, and contribution to Temple, are some spiritual impacts that extended beyond his time.
What kind of spiritual legacy will I leave when I die?