Unless you live under a media rock, you know that Michael Jackson has died. As I listened to report after report, and "friend" after "friend" eulogize him I was struck by the things being said about him.
He was most certainly a great entertainer, and an entire generation of people grew up listening to his music and watching his unbelievable dance moves. His life was somewhat of a sideshow and sadly, his talent was overshadowed by accusations and suspicions of immoral behavior. He was also very philanthropic, giving to more charities than any other person on earth.
What legacy has this superstar left behind? What will be our lasting memories of this man turned pop icon?
Now what about you, and what about me? If you died suddenly what kind of legacy would you leave your family? Would it be one of
- She was a good wife
- She was a great mother
- She was a hard worker
- She was a dedicated servant in church
I hope all those things are one day said of me, but I have a greater desire. I hope that one day it can be said of me that, "Julie honored God by how she lived her life." I figure, if I am making that my goal each day then I will be all of those other things by default.
I do not care a whit about fame or fortune, popularity or notoriety. While I am very grateful for all the nice things the readers of the blog and of my books say about me or my writing I cannot take any of those things along from this life; and when I am in the grave they will all be meaningless. What I pray for is that if anything at all is said about me that it would be that I loved the Lord and that I dedicated my life to His service. I hope it is said that I proclaimed Christ, gloried in the cross, and made the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
Yes, fame and fortune like Michael Jackson had would have been nice for creature comforts, but where did it leave him in life? Cloistered, haunted, and frankly just plain weird would describe his life with all his millions. More importantly, where did it leave him in death?!
What did it all get him in eternity? Does God care about his fame and millions? Hardly.
What God cares about is what Michael Jackson did with Jesus. That is really the only legacy that matters in the end.