“What Will Be Your
Legacy?”
Super Reflections
After Seattle beat Denver 43-8, some fans are questioning Peyton
Manning’s legacy. He is a five-time MVP. He set additional NFL records this
season. But in the Super Bowl, Peyton is 1-2. Despite elite talent and taking
his team to the playoffs annually, #18 has only hoisted the Lombardi trophy
once. Younger brother Eli, with less regular season success in his career, has
done it twice.
I’m not bashing Manning. He didn’t snap the ball for a safety on his team’s first play. He didn’t give up a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half or fail to block Seattle’s defensive line all night. The whole team played flat at the worst time of the year. And Seattle is no cupcake. They earned the right to play in the Super Bowl. Sunday night, they merited a decisive win.
What About Us?
In a culture obsessed with winning, where bottom line results are
all that count, #18’s track record will be tainted if he fails to win another Super
Bowl before he retires. Crazy, isn’t it? Winning one Super Bowl isn’t enough. A
quarterback must do it at least twice to forge the proper legacy.
Some talking heads believe this; I don’t. Does his father Archie deserve
less respect just because he never played in a Super Bowl? Whether
Peyton wins another title or not, his legacy should be secure.
Set free to soar on
my journey, I wonder how this not-yet-published writer will be remembered. I
don’t possess Peyton Manning’s name recognition. Most of my town couldn’t pick
me out of a lineup. But does this mean I’m a failure just because no one gives
money to charity every time I holler, “Omaha!”?
In her recent blog
post at “The Write Conversation” (01/24/14), Edie Melson wrote, “Publication isn’t the sole definition of
writing success. Touching someone’s life through the words I pen, whether
it’s on a blog or a book or an article, is way more important than a book
contract.”
I like Edie’s
quote. I posted her words near my computer as a reminder about genuine success
in the writing world. Of course I want to be published someday. But in the end,
the sole indicator of success is neither the number of books published nor the
number of Super Bowl wins.
One popular
definition of success is commonly attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803-1882), though Bessie Stanley may have written it in 1905. The quote ends
as follows:
To leave the world a
bit better,
Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or
a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
Jesus’ definition of success is counter-intuitive.
The ultimate prize awaits those who obey Jesus. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21 and 23, NIV).
The ultimate prize awaits those who obey Jesus. “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21 and 23, NIV).
Servanthood + Faithfulness with what God has given us
= True success in God’s kingdom.
NFL records and book contracts are good. Super Bowl trophies and
best-seller awards are better. But the best legacy of all
is to hear Jesus say, “Well done!”
David
