What We Leave Behind

“As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.” -Ecclesiastes 5:15; 7:1 (KJV).

Death is inevitable for all of us. Have you ever thought what you might leave behind as your legacy?

Perhaps you have read this story of Alexander the Great and his last wishes. It is said that on his deathbed he had three wishes. He wanted the best doctors to carry his coffin at his funeral. He wanted wealth he had accumulated, gold silver and precious stones, to be scattered along the path to his burying ground. He wanted his hands to be left dangling, empty, outside his coffin for all to see.

A general close to him asked Alexander the Great to explain these strange requests. The famous Alexander said he wanted the best doctors as his pallbearers to indicate that doctors have no power to heal. They merely administer the best practices in medicine, but healing is from a power beyond the doctors’ abilities.

He wanted his wealth scattered along the way of the funeral procession to show that it stays on earth. Remember the adage: “You can’t take it with you.” No one can take wealth to the beyond.

He wanted his hands dangling and empty to show that we leave earth empty-handed and that the most precious gift—time—is exhausted.

We take no wealth to the grave. Time is the most precious commodity we have in life, and for each our time is numbered and limited. As we live, we may produce and accumulate wealth, but we cannot control our time on earth. The biblical admonition is worthy to be heeded: “Redeeming the time for the days are evil”(Ephesians 5:16, KJV). Another legacy we can leave behind concerns the people whom we have introduced to the Lord. To help us in that glorious assignment we can resolve to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16, KJV). –Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.21.2014.