=
[Kenneth Peterson wrote a sh=
ort devotional on our “Legacy of Love”. Teresa and I read it, a=
nd she said we have many friends our age in this same stage of life and sho=
uld share it.=A0 Best way for us to share is through our more serious ̶=
0;weekend” grif net blog.=A0 All credit to the author.]
In Sweden, there’s a concept known as d=
=F6st=E4dning. It literally means “death cleaning.” Th=
e idea is that as we grow older, we should stop accumulating “stuff&#=
8221; and begin to cut out the clutter we have amassed throughout our lives=
=2E “Swedish death cleaning” is actually a gift of love to chil=
dren and friends, for it simplifies for them the task of wading through wha=
t we leave behind.
As believers in Jesus=
, at a certain age we think about our legacy—what survives us. This i=
s often framed in terms of money, inheritance, or charitable giving—a=
nd there’s much to be said for that. But it might be helpful to look =
at Jesus in His final hours with His disciples: “Where I am going, yo=
u cannot follow now, but you will follow later” (John 13:36). In two =
verses (vv. 34-35), He uses the word love or loved=
four times—His legacy was love. He told them: “As I h=
ave loved you, so you must love one another” (v. 34).
It may be good to do some “Swedish death cleaning=
” in our lives, removing clutter to leave behind only the most import=
ant things. But it really isn’t about things or money. The most impor=
tant legacy you can leave behind is your love for Jesus. When children and =
friends remember you as one who loved Jesus, that’s the best gift of =
all. It gives new meaning to the phrase “left behind.”
~~
Dr. Bob Griffin
[email protected]=A0 www.grif.net =
“1 cross + 3 nails =3D 4 given”