Leaving a Legacy

• David - a man after God's own heart.
• Peter - an apostle and elder in the church.
• Abraham - father of the faithful.
• Rahab - listed with the roll call of the faithful in Hebrews 11.

These may not be the first things you think about when these names come to mind, but I fear that many people give up on trying to leave a legacy because of some tragic event, or sin in their life. While these individuals all committed some pretty henious offenses - they also went on to live pretty signifcant and meaningful lives. They are often remembered for the good they did, even more than the wrongs they commtted.

David an adulterer and murderer. Peter denied Christ three times while use profane language. Abraham lied repeatedly and Rahab was a prostitute. These folks would not be on my short list of people to change the course of history and dramatically influence the lives generations yet unborn.

Too often we allow our past to hinder our future. Rather than transforming our mistakes and using them as motivation for good, we allow them to drag us down and cripple us. If a murderer and adulterer can be called, "a man after God's own heart," then there is still some hope that I cam make a difference.

There are places in my life I really messed things up. Words that I wish I could retrieve and behaviors that I am less than proud of - but none of those things has to handicap me for the future. I hear people say, "I just can't get over the mistakes of my past." Some will argue that others will not allow them to forget their failures, but the truth of the matter is that you have to take charge of your life and your legacy.

Here are 3 simple steps to turn your tragedy into triumph as you strive to move steadily forward:

1. Sincerely seek forgiveness for the mistakes or sins of your past. You can't move forward till you are honest with yourself.
2. Forgive yourself! You don't need that extra weight of guilt to carry around if you are trying to move forward.
3. Get Busy! If you want to leave a legacy, make a difference, change the world, then you need to start today. It can be small steps, but you can't sit idly by and wait for an epiphany to come.