Legacy of Character

“For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.”

2 Corinthians 2:17 ESV

Many of us, in our devotional time, tend toward quantity over quality. We have a set amount of scripture we know we want to read and our devotion ends when the pages run out. This isn’t necessarily a bad way to read the Bible, but it tends to leave us in the position of reading for the sake of reading, not for the sake of understanding. All this to say, about two weeks ago, the Lord stopped me on the above passage of Scripture. 

I used to want to become a leader of influence. My misguided assumption was that as I became more influential, Jesus would become more “famous” to the world around me. As I’ve “aged”, or perhaps more importantly, I’ve seen many leaders fall prey to the snares of the enemy it’s caused me to become more circumspect in my approach to ministry. 

This is in no way meant to demean or judge any who have fallen, as we know that every man is human, and the enemy has been at his work for far longer than any of us can imagine. He’s pretty good at his “job”, which is seeking whom he may devour. 

Consider the words of Solomon: “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.” Proverbs 18:16

This is a well known, well used verse in the Christian community. Solomon is laying out the principle that the use of a honed gift is it’s own “trumpet”. You don’t need to promote yourself in order to be promoted by the Lord. However, the double edge of this sword is that while your gift may take you to the heights, whether that’s ministry, management, professional success, etc., but it’s your character that will both sustain you and bring honor to the Lord. 

As you are probably all aware, one of the great generals of our faith, Billy Graham, went on to be with the Lord and has now fully inherited his great reward. As I was reflecting on his life, I had this thought: Billy’s greatest accomplishment may be the millions who came to a saving knowledge of Christ due to his ministry, but his greatest legacy to the church is his unflinching integrity, his immovable faith, and his iron-clad commitment to represent the name of Jesus in personal holiness. What we have witnessed in Billy Graham is that it is possible to do everything that God has called you to do, rise to the heights (if God chooses to put you there) of both ministry and celebrity, stand in the presence of Kings, Presidents, and the elite, advising all the while from the “lowest seat”, and never have a whiff of controversy over his personal life, no tell-all exposes’ from a disgruntled former staff member, no shady undercurrent of greed or lack of transparency in fiscal responsibility, no late night trysts in foreign hotels, absolutely *nothing*. In an era where his contemporaries fell left and right, he became a living example of not only ministry success, but a life lived well in the biggest spotlight in the world. 

Not only that, but he was absolutely committed to restoration of the fallen and broken. Bill Clinton, who was advised by Graham, was quoted after the Monica Lewinsky fiasco as saying, “Rev. Graham is as committed to restoration as he is redemption,” following a conversation they’d had after his very public scandal. 

As a leader in Christ’s church, thank you Billy, for showing us that it’s attainable to walk unstained in the world, to preach holiness and live it out daily, to walk in utmost integrity in the highest circles and carry the humblest of hearts. You are, and will continue to be, a giant in the faith. Thank you for being a lover of God’s word, not a peddler thereof. May we continue in your legacy of character and faith and see our children, churches, communities, countries, and world impacted by the Gospel that doesn’t just change the outside but fundamentally reshapes the inner man. Thank you, Dr. Graham, for a “yes” to Jesus so strong that nothing could change your mind. Thank you for a life well lived. Enjoy the reward you have so well earned. 

The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith. -Billy Graham (1918-2018)

Joel Ecklund

Generations Pastor