Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.” (NLT)

On Easter, Pastor Brian spoke about death. Are we comfortable thinking about and facing our own mortality? We should be. It’s coming at some point that God has chosen, and there’s nothing we can do to change that. If we have confidence that our eternity is secure through salvation in Jesus Christ, then we should also be thinking about our legacy and what impact we will leave upon future generations.

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Maybe that sounds really lofty in the midst of bills, mouths to feed, diapers to change, appointments, errands, etc. Or perhaps you’re still young and feeling fairly carefree, assuming there are many years ahead to ponder such heavy topics as legacy and death. But the reality is that none of us knows the days that God has planned for us. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 9:12 that “man does not know his own time.”

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What if we did know our “expiration date”? Would it change how you lived?  

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Our verse for today is most often read in December as we contemplate the birth of Christ. These three verses are the beginning of the Magnificat – or Mary’s Song of Praise.  Have you ever stopped to think about when Mary sang this song of praise?  

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Quick multiple-choice quiz:

1. When the angel Gabriel told her that she would be with child – the Son of God

2. When Jesus was born in the stable, and she first held him

3. When she visited Elizabeth and Elizabeth blessed her as the mother of my Lord

4. When Joseph took her to be his wife

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Many of these times make sense and, in our humanity, the one that makes the most sense to me would be when she actually held Jesus in her arms. But that’s not when she voiced these words of praise. She responded in praise and adoration when she visited her cousin Elizabeth.  Luke writes that “at the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:41). Elizabeth goes on to bless Mary as the “mother of my Lord” (v. 43) and says that Mary is “blessed because [she] believed that the Lord would do what he said” (v. 45).  

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Mary’s song of praise was a response to this confirmation from her cousin Elizabeth by the power of the Holy Spirit. She recognized that God had called her – a lowly young girl – to be used by Him in a mighty way. Her obedience and faithfulness would mean that generations would remember her and call her blessed.

Well, Mary is a pretty lofty example! But, what can you and I do in our day-to-day lives that will leave behind a legacy of faithfulness? One simple thing that I tried to do when my kids were growing up was to model having a quiet time with Jesus. They knew that when I was in my chair in the early morning, it was my time with God – in His Word and talking to Him. Maybe they thought I needed to spend some afternoon time there, too, since by then the morning had worn thin, but I hope that knowing my morning routine shaped them in some way.  

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Our families are the first place we think of in terms of legacy. Are you building a legacy of faith and faithfulness within your own home? Proverbs 14:1 says, “The wise woman builds her house but the foolish pulls it down with her own hands.” Coupled with many of the other verses in Proverbs, Solomon is clear that wisdom comes from the Lord. So, are we seeking God first when it comes to leading our families? Are you purposeful in how you want to leave behind a legacy of faithfulness that will impact generations?

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One specific and significant way to impact the next generation is through blessing. In the Old Testament we see many examples of blessings spoken over sons, in particular.  We, too, can speak truth and blessing over our children, or those of your friends or family members, in a very intentional way that will communicate our prayers for them. These blessings can become powerful written and spoken prayers that demonstrate our heart and prayers for our children.

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Hopefully, we are also demonstrating faithfulness that will be remembered beyond our lifetimes in the ways that we treat our neighbors and community. Are we generous? Do we share our resources and time? Do we share Jesus?  

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When our end comes and those we leave behind remember us, will we be spoken of as someone who loved and shared Jesus? What are you demonstrating each day that makes a lasting impact on those around you?

As we close today, I challenge you to spend a few minutes with the Lord. Ask Him to show you where He wants to grow your impact. Allow Him to convict you of areas where your impact may be off-the-mark. Repent and allow Him to realign your heart to focus on life-giving and life-altering impact. May we be able to say, as Mary did, “The Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me!”

You are being prayed for and with, my friends.