The key to outliving yourself

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come. - Psalm 71:18

“American history shall march along that skyline,” announced Gutzon Borglum in 1924 as he gazed at the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was three years later that he began sculpting the images of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt on the face of Mount Rushmore.

Working with jackhammers and dynamite, Borglum’s team removed around 400,000 tons of outer rock, working to within three inches of the final surface. Sadly, Borglum died in March of 1941. His masterpiece was finally finished years later.

It’s been said, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Some of the greatest visionaries who have ever lived never got to see their visions take shape. Instead, they had a vision so big that just achieving it took longer than the remainder of their lives.

If you want to leave an impact on this world, do something that will outlive you. That doesn’t mean you have to carve a mountain. But you can invest in others’ lives and lead them in truth. When you start living beyond yourself, there’s no limit to what God can accomplish through you!

Prayer Challenge:

Pray and ask God to show you where you can make an investment today that will outlive your years on this earth.

Questions for Thought:

When you think about people who’ve had an impact that lasted beyond their years, who comes to mind?

What was it about those people that you think caused them to leave such a powerful legacy?