Devotions
Leaving a Legacy – Be relevant in your time (Part 1)
”… And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
The other day I watched a movie based on real-life events. It was about a woman called Erin Brockovich. The events in that movie were so touching that I decided to do some research on her. This was in 1990. Erin Brockovich was a single mother of three, a two-time divorcee and had limited means of survival. She worked as a legal clerk in a big law firm. However she had no formal law education. As a clerk, she came across a critical case involving a big corporation sued by a community for water contamination. Water pollution was believed to have sparked many cancer-related deaths in the area. The case was deemed hopeless by her boss. Nevertheless, her lack of proper education did not stop her from getting involved in helping that community. She started by talking to the plaintiffs, did some research on her own with her money and compiled valuable reports. With her findings, she convinced her boss to take on the lawsuit, which they ultimately won. What started as an act of kindness propelled her to stardom, opened incredible opportunities for her, and she was eventually involved in other similar cases in her native US and abroad as a consumer advocate and environmental activist.
There
is a reason why you are where you are at the moment. Whether you are a cook, a
cleaner or the highest-ranked official in your organization, you have to be
relevant because it is not by accident that you are at that place at that time.
Being relevant means to be important, to be the kind of person others can
depend on. Esther became a queen in a miraculous way, however it was not by
accident or good fortune. The God who foresees everything had placed her in the
position of a queen so she could save her people from total destruction. You
don’t need to have power, money, or anything else; you need a heart that is
caring for the people. If you care, God will do the rest; he will use what you
have and multiply its effects. In Luke 10:25-37, we find the story of the Good
Samaritan. It is a parable. However, this nameless and faceless man is known
and respected worldwide and has been preached for centuries and across
continents. What made him stand out? Only three things: he saw a problem,
someone in need; he approached the problem, he felt concerned and was moved by
compassion, and he resolved the problem with what he had. Just like the Good
Samaritan, Erin saw a problem, people in need, and set out to help them with
what she had.
Life is
more than breathing in and out. It’s giving ourselves to others. That’s the
secret of greatness, a life that leaves behind a legacy for others to follow. Unfortunately,
these are the times where everyone is concerned with their own persons. None is
concerned about the neighbour, at least when they can’t see any potential
benefits of caring for their neighbours. However, you should know that the
reason God put you somewhere is for you to become a solution to someone who may
be hopeless without you. As the bible says, who knows whether we are where we
are now to be relevant for someone’s else life? It doesn’t require much, just
what you have. Like the angel told Gideon, go with the strength you have
(Judges 6:14). God is asking each one not to save thousands, but to be relevant
wherever we are, show compassion and be the kind of person people around us can
count on. Mordecai told Esther, do not be silent, even though you are not
primarily affected, this problem concerns you too (Esther 4:14a). I remember a
leader who always told his subordinates that, “as leaders, you can’t be
unconcerned.” You want to leave a legacy, an example for future generations to
follow, then live “concerned.” In any small or big capacity God gives you,
learn to be relevant to people around you.
Posted : Jan 12, 2026