2 Peter 1:15 KJV
[15] “Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.”
Peter was not a self-promoting preacher. He was not concerned about believers remembering him, but rather remembering the truths he had taught. This verse shows us how far we have come in today’s world of Christendom. Many men are focused on themselves and work hard to be remembered when they are gone. They strive to build legacies that will outlast them. We are not called as preachers to build anything for ourselves, but we are called to point others to the King of Kings.
People can and will forget us when we are gone. Life goes on, and so do people. This is how the cycle of life is for each of us. I know that our families and certain close friends will remember us; however, the vast majority of people we come in contact with will get busy with life, and we will be forgotten. As time moves on, so does another generation who may faintly know our name or perhaps not at all. It doesn’t really matter if they know us; it matters that they know the truths that we preached and taught. Think about it! If you and I spend a lifetime preaching and teaching the truth, and we are unknown to many, yet truth marches on, then we have accomplished His will for our lives. I want to leave the truth behind when I am gone, instead of my name. Who cares if people remember us as long as they remember the truth?
A lot of “self” is being displayed today, along with little truth. The Bible says that in the last days, men would be lovers of themselves. We see this firsthand in our society, and it has even crept into our churches. We see it in the pews, on the platforms, and behind the pulpit. I pray that whoever reads this devotional will purpose in their heart to leave something behind that matters to the next generation. Pass along the truths of the Bible and let them see Christ, and not us. He is the One who will deliver them and stabilize them for decades to come. Paul was a man who said he preached not himself. May we hide ourselves in such a way that people only see Christ. Lord, help us to be faithful to the Word of God and faithful to share it with others. We cannot afford to change in these last days, or sell out to the world, the flesh, and the Devil. We must march forward and leave behind something greater than a legacy. We must leave behind the truths that we have been taught.