Carry On Your Name Through Purpose

2 Samuel 18:18

18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King’s Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, “I have no son to carry on the memory of my name.” He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom’s Monument to this day.

Have you ever thought about what legacy you will leave behind? King David's son Absalom did not have any sons to carry on his name so he did what he felt was the next best thing, erected a pillar. Absalom and David were at odds over what had been done to Absalom's sister Tamar. He decided that he would rage war on his father because he believed his father did not do enough to punish the other son for his crime against Tamar. He knew that some day he would not be here and since there was no son to carry on his name, he decided to live a namesake for Jerusalem. The pillar still stands to this day. We usually here the verse from the book of proverbs about leaving an inheritance for your children's children. But for Absalom, that didn't apply. Though Absalom's purpose was not to cause strife with his father, before he was born, the Lord told King David that the sword would never leave his house for the sin he committed. So Absalom did do what God said he would.

Whether you have children or not, leaving a legacy is about what you do when you're here to be remembered. Being remembered can be as simple as being kind or as complex as leaving behind money, businesses, or being known for missionary work or being the parent of a great athlete or star. That certainly is a way to be remembered but you can also be remembered for fulfilling what you are here to do. Purpose isn't just a word, it's a way of life. We are all here on purpose. You were not an accident, no matter what you were told. God wanted you here for a reason. But what pillar will you leave behind? We don't know how long we have so each day is new chance to start living and walking in your purpose. Carry on your name through purpose. Live each day to find what purpose you were set here for and just do it!