Leading a Spiritual Legacy

I am named after one of the leaders in the Bible. If you guessed Joshua, you are correct, but I’m not impressed, that was too easy. 

Here’s the crazy part about Joshua: the end of Joshua’s life was one of the most defining moments in his leadership journey. 

Not many people know that when Joshua uttered these powerful words in Joshua 24:15, it was his last recorded time addressing the nation of Israel. I’ve never led a nation before, but I can only imagine preparing a final speech to the country that I led. 

What would your final speech be about? As humans, we tend to associate our legacy with our achievements and accomplishments. It’s safe for us to assume that Joshua would go ahead and talk about those things. Not to mention, Joshua had plenty of accomplishments that he could talk about. 

Joshua could have spoken about the time that he and Caleb went into the promised land and came back with the only reports of faith that God would deliver the land into their hands. Or, Joshua could have bragged about the time that sun stood still while leading the Israelites in a victorious battle. Additionally, Joshua could have spoken about his success in conquest and expansion of the Israel nation that he fearlessly led. The list of achievements that Joshua could have spoken about could go on and on. So what did Joshua choose to say during his final address to the nation of Israel? 

Joshua said: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). 

Joshua spoke about serving the Lord. Rather than building up his own name by speaking about his accomplishments, Joshua recognized that there was something far more important to talk about. In doing so, Joshua didn’t build any fame for himself, but He did expand his spiritual legacy. 

This is a beautiful picture of leadership. You may or may not know that our newest word at 1Word is LEAD. We made our LEAD shirt in bold font because authentic servant leadership stands out! What we need to realize is that this LEAD shirt isn’t just a shirt if we choose to embody the meaning of it. 

Like Joshua, we can have a huge impact on the people around us and leave a massive spiritual legacy. Take into consideration the spiritual influence that you are leading through your life right now. I am certain that there are some areas of your life that you can improve in. Focus on one. Determine what the most important next step is in expanding your spiritual legacy and execute on it! 

The best way to do so is by focusing on your closest relationships. Joshua declared that not only he, but his entire family would serve the Lord! Are you a father or mother? If so, you have the opportunity to spiritually lead your children. Do you have a group of close friends? If so, you have the opportunity to spiritually lead your friends. 

I would not be where I am today without the spiritual legacy of a man named Coach Reg Cook. When my dad was 13 years old, he spent time around my dad and his group of neighborhood friends. If my dad and his friends were out playing basketball, Coach Cook would spend time sharing his faith with them. Ultimately, because of Coach Cook’s influence, my dad and his friends gave their lives to Jesus. Now, I have a relationship with Jesus because of Coach Cook’s influence on my dad. We each had to make our own personal decisions to follow Jesus, but we also needed people in our lives to introduce us to Jesus. Now, Coach Cook has left a spiritual legacy that has impacted my eternal destiny. 

Today, what is stopping you from leaving a spiritual legacy on the lives of others? 

Choose to live intentionally. Focus on the one way that you will grow your spiritual legacy. Start today. 

Choose it. Rep it. Live it.

Josh Lane

Listen to S3 Ep 5 "Leading a Spiritual Legacy" on Apple Podcasts here

Listen to S3 Ep 5 "Leading a Spiritual Legacy" on Spotify here

Get your own LEAD shirt here