We have many dreams and get disappointed or even angry when they don’t come true. Rarely do we view all of this from an eternal perspective. However, life does not end with us.
It is good to dream of having a strong marriage, a beautiful house, and an exciting job. It is also an excellent practice to put effort into realizing these dreams, preparing for our retirement, and saving money. But Jesus warns us about only working for ourselves (Luke 12:16 to 21). In the great chapter on faith, the apostle sets forth several exploits accomplished by faith. But he ends the chapter by pointing out that several faithful believers never got what they hoped for and even died as martyrs. “All these people are known for their faith, but none of them received what God had promised. God planned to give us something better so that they would be made perfect, but only together with us” (Hebrews 11:39-40 NCV). They didn’t get their promise so that we would have something better. The apostle Paul is saying that it is possible that we do not have everything we desire and that it will serve other Christians after us.
We are a link in the great chain of life. Our parents and grandparents lived before us, and our children, physical or spiritual, will be there after us. It is possible that your devotion to Christ will not change much in your current condition, but it will transform the life of another person. Who in turn will bring others to Christ, and this movement will change the world. That is the story of Frank Jenner.
A pastor was talking with one of his members about his salvation, and the latter told him that he was approached by a man in George Street, Sydney. The man had asked him: “If you die tonight, are you sure you will go to heaven?”. He hadn’t said the prayer of salvation, he had only taken the man’s flyer and continued on his way. But after thinking about it, he gave his soul to God. The same pastor then went to multiple conventions of believers and heard the same testimony from other people over and over. Sometimes even coming from other pastors, now in charge of large churches. Each time it was the same encounter, on the same street, with the same question. Also, with the same result: no one had given their life to Christ on the spot but only after a few days of reflection. Intrigued, the pastor went to George Street, Sydney, and tracked down the then-elderly evangelist. When the pastor told him how many people had given their lives to Christ because of his testimony, the evangelist (Frank Jenner) couldn’t believe it. “In 40 years of evangelism, I have never heard of a single person coming to Jesus until today,” he said. What a story! Even without seeing the fruits, which nevertheless multiplied by the thousands, Frank Jenner continued his work as an evangelist. We may feel that our life is useless, that our sacrifices are pointless, and yet our obedience may be changing the lives of many people around us!
Do you think about the spiritual legacy you leave behind? Can you name people you have helped grow in their faith? Have you demonstrated the love of Christ by helping those around you or being generous to your community? How many strangers have you introduced the plan of salvation? As in Hebrews 11 or with Frank Jenner, you may not have everything you dream of in this life, but see your life as part of God’s grand plan. So you can still be satisfied knowing that you have advanced the Kingdom of God and led others close to His heart. We must not think only of our present life, but of the spiritual heritage that we leave behind. When we refuse to follow our flesh, and hold back from practicing sin, we are not doing it only for ourselves, but for a whole future generation.