Building a Legacy

It is a great feeling after high school tryouts when you see your name posted because you were chosen to be on the varsity team. Or when you get the call for the offer you had been wanting from the school you longed to attend. Or you get the call from the Board saying they would like to hire you as their head coach. We all have the deep desire to be seen, heard and valued, and we feel that validation when we are chosen for something or by someone.

We find even better news when we understand we serve a God who chose us from the beginning when He decided to create us in His image.  

“So God created man
in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.” -Genesis 1:27

He created us to love us.

He created us to have a relationship with us.

He chose to bring us into existence.

We are CHOSEN.

And if we were chosen by God, we were created by God to live in His love and do great things for Him.

We see different people through the Bible who were chosen to complete certain tasks, and even though they were chosen by God, they still had to choose to say “yes” to God. For instance:

- Mary was chosen to carry and give birth to Jesus the Messiah.

- Moses was chosen to lead God’s people, the Israelites, out of Egypt and slavery.

- Joshua was chosen to lead those same people into the Promised Land.

- Paul was chosen to bring the Good News of Jesus to the Jews and the Gentiles.

These individuals would be considered the Big League players, the starters, the names we talk about the most. And then we have Bezalel.

“Moses then said to the Israelites, “Look, the Lord has appointed by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He has filled him with God’s Spirit, with wisdom, understanding, and ability in every kind of craft.” -Exodus 35:30-31

And what was Bezalel chosen to build? 

The new Tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant. The Tabernacle was the one place God’s people went to worship God, and the Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God. This was the most important job at the time, yet today, very few people know his name. But because “Bezalel made everything just as the Lord commanded….” (Exodus 38:22), God’s name is remembered, not his own.

When God chooses us to build something great with Him using the platform of sports:

1)    Our gifts and talents are given to us not to build a pedestal for us but a platform for Him.

We live in a time where we think, “How can I get my name in the paper? How can I get my name out there for NIL deals? How can I boost my social media presence so people notice me?”

Instead, what if we used the game to share His light, not just get the spotlight? What if we used the game to share His greatness instead of ours?

2)    Like Bezalel, our work may come through our hands, but it doesn’t come from our hands.

Our gift to play or coach may go through our hands, but it doesn’t come from our hands. Our gifts and talents work through us but do not come from us. Everything we have been given has been given to us by God.

And because of this,

1)    We don’t get the glory—God does.

God gets the glory. Not because He needs it, but because we can’t handle it.  

I have been a part of some amazing teams, and you know what makes them great? There’s not one superstar. It’s a team of superstars. At any game, someone different always steps up. Yet nobody takes the glory; they give the glory. We know every blessing that doesn’t turn into praise will turn into pride.

I can’t help but believe that with the Spirit of God, you have been given great wisdom, ability and expertise (Exodus 31:3) in different ways, and we have a chance to build something great with the Lord. We serve a God who chose to come to earth, die on the cross and rise from the dead so that we could be reconciled with God.

Will we choose to follow Him and build a faith-filled legacy?

***

Live It Out:

Quarter Verse – “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” -Matthew 6:33

Question – How can you use the talents God has given you to give Him glory? 

Challenge – What do you want your legacy to be? Take a few moments to think on how God has gifted you and where He has put you on your team and make small steps to impact the people around you for a lasting, eternal legacy in Christ.

*If you read this article and aren’t in a relationship with Christ yet but would like to know more, we invite you to go through FCA’s The FOUR, which explains how an everlasting and fulfilling life with God is possible.

We want you to join us as we go through the Glory journey this year! Discover Chasing Glory, Received Glory, Reflecting Glory and Lasting Glory in your heart and purpose by diving into God’s Word and joining us through monthly content and challenges. Visit 

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