How Will They Remember You? (Friday Devotional)

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 

- Galatians 5:22-23

One of the strange realities of my vocation is that I attend a lot of funerals. Sometimes I do so as the officiant, there to comfort a mourning family and offer the hope of the gospel. Other times I am simply one more person in the pew, attending the service as a gesture of respect for the deceased and kindness for the grieving family.

Having been to so many funerals, I’ve learned what to expect from the obituaries and the speakers. Accomplishments are listed, stories shared, and a life is summed up in just a few short minutes. Decades of work are described in a sentence or two, countless family memories are reduced to two or three anecdotes. Services like these make you think about what really matters in the end.

Our world prizes success and ambition—but the obituary which reads like a resume is hollow. Our world values wealth and fame—but such things mean little in death. Our world tells us there is no greater joy than winning—but all those victories, all those titles, all those trophies turn to dust eventually.

The truth is that the most joyous funerals I’ve attended have not been for the rich or the famous or the wildly successful, but for the humble, faithful servants who loved the Lord and loved their neighbors. Those whose lives were defined not by the fruit of their intelligence or the fruit of their ambition, but by the fruit of the Spirit. Those who cared more about being good than being great.

Our world is full of worldly men and women who crave glory, power, and acclaim. But in the end, we see what these things are worth. May you instead center your life around grace, mercy, and love. That’s what Jesus did—as his disciples, let’s learn from him.