How are you living? How you are living will impact how you are leading, which impacts those in your inner sphere. When you live well, love well, lead well, and leave well, God is glorified, and this world is reached with the gospel.
Culture has cultivated a lot of followers of fads, all the while proclaiming that everyone is right…until one disagrees with the lowered standards. How we live can impact our culture. How do we live well in a world gone wrong?
Live Well
Living well requires leadership of our own selves so we are able to leave well to those around us an example of a life well lived.
Live according to the Word of God.
We live well when we live according to the word of God. In a culture that is counter Scripture, living a life that pleases God will not be popular, but it will make a difference in this world that lasts past the here and now. Being a person of integrity and conviction speaks volumes before we ever say a word.
Live a disciplined life.
Living well requires discipline. Establish healthy habits and routines that are aiming for goals that matter. Being disciplined for our own glory won’t affect the hearts around you, but living a disciplined life for the glory of God happens when we invite others to join us as we seek to live disciplined lives, too.
Love Well
Scripture says the love of most will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). But it also says how we love one another is a witness to the world (John 13:5) of an other-worldly kind of love.
Love sacrifically.
Love does. It does not just speak words of affirmation, it demonstrates one’s affection. Do those around you know you love them? Is your love evident by serving them even when it is not convenient?
Love continuously.
We can all get in a rut and grow complacent, taking our relationships for granted. Treasure and cherish your loved ones. Show them they matter by showing up with intentional continual devotion in the love language they best receive.
Lead Well
Leading well depends on the wellness of the leader. We cannot lead others well if we don’t lead ourselves well. Are you well? Health begins in our souls and is reflected in our actions.
Who is leading you?
Live for an audience of one, not for the crowd. The fickle public is never truly satisfied, and you will wear yourself out trying to live for them. What we watch and listen to reveals who or what is leading us. Protecting ourselves from negative influences in our lives serves as a witness to those around us and protects us from worldliness that affects our faithfulness and effectiveness in this life.
Who are you leading?
It can be a fearsome thing to be a leader. Leadership can be lonely. We cannot lead everyone, but we can lead some. Who has God called you to lead? How we lead them will determine how effective our leadership is.
Leave Well
In the end, how we live will be evident by how well we left this earthly life.
Leaving well requires forethought.
No one knows when their last day will be. Life goes by in a flash. It is easy to get so caught up in the busyness of life that we forget to plan ahead. We need to plan for our departure so those we leave behind will know we cared.
Leaving well requires care.
Did those in our inner sphere know we loved them? Did we reconcile relationships as much as depends upon us? Writing a Letter of Instruction and Hope to My Loved Ones is a powerful way to speak to loved ones beyond the grave.
As you craft your life legacy, I’d love to help you intentionally develop a plan that changes the world around you for the glory of God and gives you peace knowing you lived, loved, led, and left well.
Yours for a Thriving Legacy,
Jeff Rogers