By Pastor Michael Goings
The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones – William Shakespeare
Like most lovers of English literature, I am a staunch student of the works of William Shakespeare. Perhaps only the Holy Bible has influenced and impacted Western Civilization more than the writings of Shakespeare. Nevertheless, in my column today, I will dare to go against the grain of the quote that says, “The good is oft interred with their bones”. I believe that the good that the evilest and most wicked people who ever lived shared with others in some shape, form, or fashion still lives on. With that having been stated, let me present to you some good that you can do that will live on when you are dead and gone.
Charitable Giving to Legitimate and Worthwhile Causes
You do not have to be a billionaire or millionaire philanthropist to be a charitable giver. As a matter of fact, it is the small donors who help to carry the bulk of the responsibility of giving to keep charitable and nonprofit causes going. So, one of the ways your contributions will outlive you is to support organizations and causes that are legitimately making an impact for the betterment and well-being of people.
The Wisdom and Instructions of Mentors
Each of us has benefited from others who have mentored and poured into our lives. From the time we were born and as we progressed through the various stages of our lives, people like our parents, older siblings, school teachers, Sunday school teachers, coaches, and such like have mentored us. Many of them are no longer alive, but what they poured into us (by way of their instructions and life principles) are alive and working within us. These principles have helped to navigate our lives through turbulent times and are some of the primary factors why we survived and ultimately triumphed. Thank God that their contributions in our lives are testimonies that though they are deceased, what they gave us, will live on as we pass the legacy and inheritance on to the generations after us.
Intercessory Prayers
In this section, I am writing primarily about myself and, of course, many others who like me are the results of the prayers of deceased people. There were quite a few people who would not live long enough to literally witness their many hours of praying for me to be saved. Nevertheless, I and many others are the fruit of their untiring, agonizing, and fervent praying. Although they are no longer with us, we are the living proof that their praying was not in vain. The good that they did while living was not “interred with their bones”. Contrarily, the results of their sacrifice and struggle is one of the primary reasons why I and many others are on the battlefield for Jesus Christ today.
Giving of Your Time, Talent, and Treasure to the Kingdom of God
Although there is an indication of what this last section is about in the first section that deals with charitable giving, it is very necessary that I devote an entire section on giving to the Kingdom of God. Without any doubt or ambiguity that can be found in the Scriptures, giving of your talent, time, and treasure to advance the Gospel and Kingdom of God is the surest way that anyone can possibly give and be assured that their contributions will survive when they are no longer alive. The very true saying that “only what we do for Christ will last” is more than just a saying. It is an undeniable truth that is sustained by the Word of God. It is a truth that proves that when we give of our time, talent, and treasure to advance the Kingdom of God, it will not only survive when we are deceased, but will produce eternal fruit through souls being saved, the Gospel being preached, and people’s needs being supplied in three distinct areas: spirit, soul, and body. It is the greatest and most rewarding way to give.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)