Recently, I felt prompted by the Lord to write my own obituary; not because I was feeling morbid but because your obituary tells people what you were remembered for.
It can also become the vision for your life. It’s your legacy. With it you can define success. I keep it hanging above my desk as a reminder to pray these things into my life. Maybe it will inspire you to write your own obituary! Here it is:
Kent Allen Murawski was a man after God’s own heart. Son, husband, father, and pastor; he lived as one who laid his life down to pursue a singular purpose: to know Jesus and make Him known. As David before him, he served God in his generation and was a man after God’s own heart. He was known, among other things, as one who:
Knew and loved His God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength
Cherished his wife and children to the end
Was respected the most by those who knew him the best
Invested his life in others to watch them go further than he did
Left a legacy and example for others to follow
Was faithful as a son of God, a husband, a father, and a pastor
Never compromised his convictions
Was a man of persevering prayer
Pursued and lived his dreams throwing caution to the wind
Was faithful to the prophetic call upon his lifeto turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of fathers to their children; preparing the way of the Lord
Was a burning and shining lamp for Jesus Christ
He was received into the loving arms of His Father where he was commended as a good and faithful servant and friend of God.
“Be” before “Do”
In his message, A New You Resolution, (which by the way you can download for free) Andy Stanley shares about “Be” goals VS. “Do” goals. In it, he encourages people to decide who they want to be before deciding what they want to do. Your true legacy will be realized by what the most important people in your life say about you when you are gone.
Here’s a free template I came up with to use as you listen to his message.
Your Legacy
What do you want your legacy to be?
Write your obituary and let it become the vision for your life! Concentrate on who you want to be before you decide what you want to do!
