For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
Home to cobblestoned streets and pastel-colored buildings, the picturesque Austrian town of Innsbruck spans across the river Inn. “Brücke” in German means bridge. Literally, Innsbruck means “Bridge over Inn”.
The local tour guide walks us around the Old Town as she regales us with stories of Innsbruck’s history. Maximilian I was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the early 16th century. While Maximilian I accomplished much in terms of maintaining and expanding his empire, according to legend, he was concerned about what legacy he would leave behind when he died. He apparently was so consumed with his eventual death that he had his coffin carried with him wherever he went! Our guide points out an awning made of pure gold shingles on a building nearby. She tells us that Maximilian I authorized the construction of this golden roof to ensure he would be remembered long after he was gone.
According to dictionary.com, the word “legacy” means a gift of property or anything handed down from the past. While we might think of legacy in terms of inheritance, the Bible defines legacy as something of everlasting value handed down to the next generation. Often, biblical legacy is passing along stories of how God has worked in our lives as we see from Psalm 145:4: “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”
1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” God has gifted each of us uniquely and we are called to use these gifts to love and serve others. Sometimes these gifts are talents and passions that drive us to create, to lead, or to help others. It’s a way of leaving a lasting legacy.
The power of one is all it takes to spark change, to lead a movement, to simply stand up for what you believe in. When God is leading us, He gives us a spirit of power, not of timidity, as our key verse in 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us. In today’s world, I think of a teenager who has turned our anxieties over the future into a conversation that is making a difference. On her own, Greta Thunberg began protesting against climate change every Friday. Not even her parents supported her at first and she endured (and still does) demeaning remarks meant to discourage her. Greta’s courageous and tenacious pursuit of change teaches us that the power of one cannot be underestimated. She saw a need and worked to make that need known. As a result, we as a global community are more aware of climate change and more motivated than ever to reverse it. The power of one – can you imagine the changes we can make and the legacies we can leave behind if we can grasp the power of the Spirit of God? When He leads us, when we follow Him, to do good, to love and serve others, there is no end to what can be accomplished for this generation and for those that follow. It’s the power of the One True God working through one person.
Perhaps what you are passionate about isn’t global change. Maybe it’s something on a smaller scale. When asked what is the greatest commandment of all, Jesus replies in Mark 12:29-31: “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” While we’re not all called to lead an international movement, I do believe we are called to love God and love others. Maybe that’s a legacy of one person at a time, starting with those in our immediate sphere of influence.
As I take the gondola up high above Innsbruck to the mountain range called the Nordkette, I discover written on a window in the visitors’ center this quote from T.S. Eliot: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” While this quote is sometimes misconstrued, Eliot is saying we are capable of more than we think we are. But we will never know until we lose the fear of failure. There is always risk in starting something new. When we break free of the fear of failure and step out in faith, trusting that God equips us for what He leads us to do, His Spirit empowers us to accomplish more than we can imagine or dream.
While Maximilian I may have been forgotten by many, except perhaps students of history, he left his imprint on Europe today. Greta Thunberg started a conversation that millions can join. What is it that God has laid on your heart to do that has a lasting legacy in your sphere of influence? It only takes the power of One.
Lord, I thank You that I am uniquely created by You and endowed with special gifts, talents, and passions. May I use those for good, for Your glory and for Your service to those in my sphere of influence today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Text and photographs copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from the Nordkette outside of Innsbruck, Austria.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Picturesque Innsbruck and the River Inn:
Home to cobblestoned streets and pastel-colored buildings, the picturesque Austrian town of Innsbruck spans across the river Inn. “Brücke” in German means bridge. Literally, Innsbruck means “Bridge over Inn”.
The local tour guide walks us around the Old Town as she regales us with stories of Innsbruck’s history. Maximilian I was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the early 16th century. While Maximilian I accomplished much in terms of maintaining and expanding his empire, according to legend, he was concerned about what legacy he would leave behind when he died. He apparently was so consumed with his eventual death that he had his coffin carried with him wherever he went! Our guide points out an awning made of pure gold shingles on a building nearby. She tells us that Maximilian I authorized the construction of this golden roof to ensure he would be remembered long after he was gone.
According to dictionary.com, the word “legacy” means a gift of property or anything handed down from the past. While we might think of legacy in terms of inheritance, the Bible defines legacy as something of everlasting value handed down to the next generation. Often, biblical legacy is passing along stories of how God has worked in our lives as we see from Psalm 145:4: “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”
1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” God has gifted each of us uniquely and we are called to use these gifts to love and serve others. Sometimes these gifts are talents and passions that drive us to create, to lead, or to help others. It’s a way of leaving a lasting legacy.
The power of one is all it takes to spark change, to lead a movement, to simply stand up for what you believe in. When God is leading us, He gives us a spirit of power, not of timidity, as our key verse in 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us. In today’s world, I think of a teenager who has turned our anxieties over the future into a conversation that is making a difference. On her own, Greta Thunberg began protesting against climate change every Friday. Not even her parents supported her at first and she endured (and still does) demeaning remarks meant to discourage her. Greta’s courageous and tenacious pursuit of change teaches us that the power of one cannot be underestimated. She saw a need and worked to make that need known. As a result, we as a global community are more aware of climate change and more motivated than ever to reverse it. The power of one – can you imagine the changes we can make and the legacies we can leave behind if we can grasp the power of the Spirit of God? When He leads us, when we follow Him, to do good, to love and serve others, there is no end to what can be accomplished for this generation and for those that follow. It’s the power of the One True God working through one person.
Perhaps what you are passionate about isn’t global change. Maybe it’s something on a smaller scale. When asked what is the greatest commandment of all, Jesus replies in Mark 12:29-31: “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” While we’re not all called to lead an international movement, I do believe we are called to love God and love others. Maybe that’s a legacy of one person at a time, starting with those in our immediate sphere of influence.
As I take the gondola up high above Innsbruck to the mountain range called the Nordkette, I discover written on a window in the visitors’ center this quote from T.S. Eliot: “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” While this quote is sometimes misconstrued, Eliot is saying we are capable of more than we think we are. But we will never know until we lose the fear of failure. There is always risk in starting something new. When we break free of the fear of failure and step out in faith, trusting that God equips us for what He leads us to do, His Spirit empowers us to accomplish more than we can imagine or dream.
While Maximilian I may have been forgotten by many, except perhaps students of history, he left his imprint on Europe today. Greta Thunberg started a conversation that millions can join. What is it that God has laid on your heart to do that has a lasting legacy in your sphere of influence? It only takes the power of One.
Lord, I thank You that I am uniquely created by You and endowed with special gifts, talents, and passions. May I use those for good, for Your glory and for Your service to those in my sphere of influence today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Want to subscribe to future posts? Click here.
Text and photographs copyright © 2020 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo from the Nordkette outside of Innsbruck, Austria.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Picturesque Innsbruck and the River Inn:
Another view from the Nordkette, Austria:
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