Leaving a Legacy

Have you ever thought about what people might say at your memorial service?  Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 7, "A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume.  In the same way the day you die is better than the day your are born."  He goes on to say say, "a wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now".

I am not trying to be morbid but there are some legitimate questions that need to be asked when it comes to leaving our legacies.

Questions:

               1.  Are we living our lives on the earth like we are aliens or permanent citizens?
                     Colossians 3:1-2

               2.  Are we going to stay active for the kingdom until we die or do we plan on retiring?
                    Philippians 3:12

               3.  Are we investing our lives in young eagles to carry on the Kingdom's business?
                    II Timothy 2:2

               4.  Are we  releasing and empowering those you have invested, or are we still trying to
                    control them?
                   Matthew 28:19-20

               5.  Is there anybody in our lives who respects us enough to want a double portion of our
                    spirit?
                    II Kings 2:9

Overcoming Spiritual Depression

Elijah was in a spiritual depression following his great victory at Mount Carmel.  Last blog I referred to the triggers of spiritual depression.  This blog I want to share with you how God dealt with his depression.

First and foremost God wanted him to rest and get something to eat, and then take a walk to Mount Horeb.   There is no substitute for rest, a healthy diet, and physical exercise.  This requires some boundary setting but is absolutely essential to overcoming spiritual depression.

Secondly you will notice that Elijah wasn't afraid to tell God exactly how he feels.  He whined and complained about his loneliness and just wanted to die.  It is critical for us to be honest with our fears, anxieties and frustrations before God.  God wants our honesty not our perfection.

Thirdly God stopped his spiral downward by doing some pretty dramatic intervention.  There was wind, fire, and earthquake, but God wasn't in those sources.  God wanted Elijah's undivided attention.
He spoke in a whisper.  It is critical that once we have stopped complaining to listen carefully to the voice of God.  Scripture tells us to "be still and know that I am God".

Fourth, we need to fix our mind what is true.  God made it abundantly clear that Elijah was not alone, and that there were 7000 others who refused to worship the god of Baal.  This takes a lot of intentional thinking on our part, but with God's help we must get off the emotional merry-go-round long enough to see what is really true.

Fifth, it is critical to find a friend you can trust.  This means someone who will be there for you and speak truth and encouragement into your life.  God knew that Elijah needed someone in his life like Elisha.

Lastly,  We need to just get up and get going.  Sometimes we just need to take the next step in faith.  This doesn't mean we fake until we make it.  It does mean that often taking those steps we can find new joy in serving.  God had work for Elijah to do.  He wasn't finished with him yet.  And he is not finished with us either.