JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA—At the Joburg airport about to board a long flight back to Nashville, after two productive weeks of ministry. I get to work with some amazing African leaders who are doing much to honor God and make disciples on this continent. More about that on a future blog.
Before my South Africa trip, I listened to an Andy Stanley leadership podcast and scribbled some notes in my journal. Like all of Andy’s leadership podcasts, this one was helpful, until he said, “great leaders are always thinking about their legacy.” I have a confession: I never think about my legacy, and I mean NEVER.
Seriously, the idea of legacy only enters my mind when someone like Andy mentions it, then it is “in one ear and out the other.”
Maybe American politics have ruined the word for me. Toward the end of a president’s second and final term in office, he starts doing things to beef up his legacy. Up until then, everything was seemingly done to get himself reelected or to get his party’s candidates elected.
While not thinking about my legacy, here’s what I do think about all the time, even on my day off:
1. Honoring God. For me, this is the starting point, the finish line, and the ultimate motive for life, work, and ministry. Whatever legacy a life lived to honor God produces is ok with me.
2. Making disciples. This is not my responsibility because I’m a pastor, rather it is my privilege because I’m a follower of Jesus. Making disciples “of all nations” is never far from my mind.
3. Doing mission. This is about calling. I don’t know what you are called to do. After years of doing everything that needed to be done in the name of ministry, I finally understood and embraced my call to equip, empower, and encourage current and future pastors and campus missionaries to make disciples and establish strong growing churches and campus ministries in every nation. Knowing my mission in life enables me to say no to everything that pulls me away from what God called me to do.
4. Serving the Church. During a time when leadership was hierarchical and dictatorial, Jesus flipped the script and redefined leadership as serving. If you do servant-leadership right, you’ll never have to worry about your personal leadership legacy.
4. Empowering leaders. This phrase is a bit redundant. Is it really leadership if it is not empowering? Hopefully the leaders I empower will take care of the legacy I never think about.
5. Riding my GS. Unfortunately, I think about riding much more than I actually ride. The picture on the right of one of my recent father/son rides is worth a thousand words. Not sure #5 has any connection to legacy, but periodic two-wheeled therapy clears my mind and keeps me sane.
