A Writer's Legacy

 By Andrea Merrell

So, you want to write a book. Maybe you already have. Maybe you’ve written several. Perhaps you’ve penned dozens of devotions and articles and hundreds of blog posts.

My question to you is this: What will your legacy be? Will it be the books, devotions, articles, and blog posts, or will it be a life well-lived?

Writing is a gift from God, but it’s what we do, not who we are. There is so much more to us than the words we write on paper or type into a computer. Our life is much more about what we write on the hearts of those around us.

I’ve known a few “famous” writers who would barely acknowledge others, let alone give them the time of day. But I know many who are all about paying their success forward by helping other writers in whatever way they can. They never hesitate to pour into the lives of those around them.

Think about it for a moment. How do you want to be remembered? One writer says we must be intentional by deciding what impact we want to have on others. Will it be all the books we’ve written or how we’ve lived each day?

It’s been said that our life is a book. Truthfully, more people that we come in contact with will read the book of our life instead of the ones we’ve penned. What is our life saying to others? What are our words and actions inscribing on the hearts of those we meet? What will they remember most about us?

It’s not about having a title. In fact, pastor and author Bob Gass says, “It doesn’t matter what your title is. Ultimately, your character will determine if the title fits you.”

 When we write for the Lord, our goal should never be fame and fortune. It should be sowing the words He gives us like seed, with love and humility. Seed that will take root and produce a great harvest.

Someone once said we leave stepping-stones for the next generation. But where do those stones lead?

• Short-term: When people recall your name, they may talk with admiration about what you accomplished and acquired for yourself.

• Long-term: What people will remember most is what you did for others and how you made them feel.

One writer says, “We have made at least a start in discovering the meaning of human life when we plant shade trees under which we know full well we will never sit.

Henry Ward Beecher said, “We should so live and labor in our times that what came to us as seed may go to the next generation as blossom, and what came to us as blossom may go to them as fruit. This exposes the true spirit in the love of mankind."

So, what will your legacy be?

 

(Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and pakorn.)

(Photo by Joel Moysuh on Unsplash)

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As a writer, what will your legacy be? All the books you've written or the way you’ve lived your life? via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)