1 Chronicles 1:10  
Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. (NLT)

Cush fathered Nimrod. He was the first on earth to be a mighty man. (ESV)

Cush had Nimrod, the first great hero on earth. (MSG)

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Biblical genealogies contain some rather interesting character names and descriptions. Most of the names do not include annotations like the one above, “the first heroic warrior on earth.” Neither do they include much context. For example, who was Nimrod fighting, and why? What made him so great? 

Was he great because he was the first of a kind and there was no one to compare him to? Was he great because he brought justice and peace out of turmoil and tumult? And how often do we get to use the words turmoil and tumult in a morning meditation? 

Different translations alter Nimrod’s description from First Heroic Warrior on Earth” to “The First on Earth to be a Mighty Man,” to “The First Great Hero on Earth.”

I wonder who gave him these descriptions. Was it the people who knew him up close and personal? Was it those who lived in the aftermath of his wrath? Was it an historian reflecting on a tumultuous time and its causes, effects, and transitions? 

Let’s assume Nimrod’s title was applied and stuck sometime either late in his life or after he was gone. This is what he was called. This is what he was known for. This is his legacy. 

There are worse legacies, aren’t there? There are better ones as well. 

Let’s consider a few legacies. You determine if they are good or bad. 

Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the surface of the moon. He said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” That’s a nice legacy, eh? Here’s the best part of the story: After he returned to earth and left his astronaut work behind, he became a college professor. He empowered a generation of students to see the value of complex calculations and the possibilities of focused study, leading where no one had gone before. 

George Orwell, author of 1984, said, “At 50, everyone has the face he deserves.” He died when he was 46. 

Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. He fired The Only Coach They Had 
Ever Had. Then he fired the coach who could have won four or five straight Super Bowls. Then he made a lot of money and got a lot of attention, and disappointed a generation of fans. But he made a lot of money. Don’t forget the money.

A dental hygienist and I were playfully discussing the Cowboys and their owner who has made quit a bit of money from his silver and blue hobby. I playfully – please note this descriptive word – mentioned the incompetence of the general manager of the Cowboys. She held her sharp instrument in front of my face and spoke in a low and threatening voice, “Mr. Jones is doing the best he can.” I’m here to tell this story today because I learned the true value of the statement, “It’s never too early to shut up.”

We may not get to name our legacy. We certainly will not get to explain it to others, but we do get to live it today. What we do and say, who we become, and who we help, will determine the labels of our lives. Most people will merit nothing more than an engraved epitaph on a headstone. Some of us will be remembered for more than a generation or two after our passing. Only a very few will be called something like The Richest Owner in the History of Sports. 

Our legacy in heaven will be written by all the kind words we have spoken, all the encouraging assistance we have provided, and all the obedient service we have provided that only God knows. He will tell our legacy. He will give us the name we live up to. (See Revelation 2:17.)

Live today like you’re doing it on purpose. Live today as if every conversation could unlock the mysteries of the universe. Live today with the joy of gently holding a peaceful, slumbering child who trusts you without reserve. One of the most significant Christians who ever lived said, “Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.” He would not want me to share his name. The best legacies are like that. 

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I will not work to earn a title or reputation other than that of simply hearing and obeying God day by day and moment by moment. 

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Our Father, I don’t want a well-known name. I don’t need a celebrated legacy. Instead, I want to hear what you have to say day by day. I want to do what you tell me. Amen.