Here's more from Rich Mullins' "Pursuit of a Legacy" video from 1994. Incidentally, I found out that it was re-released as a DVD in 2003 as well.
Rich Mullins on leaving a legacy:
"I hope that I would leave a legacy of joy. A legacy of real compassion. Because I think there is great joy in real compassion. I don't think that you can know joy apart from caring deeply about people - caring enough about people that you actually do something.
But I have a feeling... if my life is motivated by my ambition to leave a legacy, what I'll probably leave as a legacy is ambition. But if my life is motivated by the power of the Spirit in me - if I live in the awareness of the indwelling Christ - if I allow His presence to guide my actions, to guide my motives, those sorts of things, that's the only time I really think that we really leave a great legacy.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. My ambition to be "a good guy" is a fleshly ambition. [Inserted by me: Can anyone say, "John Eldredge - Wild At Heart?"] And when Christ calls us to take up our cross and follow Him, a lot of us think that what that means is we're supposed to lay down our vices and we're supposed to cling to virtues. But I think that unless Christ is Lord of our virtues, our virtues become dangerous to us and dangerous to the people around us.
I think that when Christ calls us to take up our cross, what He means is you must die not only to whatever vices are in your life - which He will eventually kill out - you must die to whatever virtues are in your life. Your life is not valuable because you're an articulate speaker. Your life is not valuable because you're a generous person. Your life is not valuable because of any of that.
If we empty ourselves of everything and allow God to be present, then it's no longer us. It's Him. Then it becomes a spiritual thing. And that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. And that's when I think Christianity really begins to make sense."
I wish I could remember all of this all the time in perfect clarity of mind.
ReplyDeleteThanks a million for posting, Joel. I've been stressed over things like being good focusing on behavior. Those words really spoke to me.
Matthew
Amen --- a LOT was said in these few words from Rich Mullins, and it's quite a lot to keep me meditating upon for a long time to come!
ReplyDeleteHi Guys
ReplyDeleteI am comming to the realisation that if you don't pour grace out, you are not living in pure grace.
As I am learning to live more and more in the security of my Fathers love, mercy and grace, I can't help loving more and giving more and doing more. I have this desire to tell everyone about the true gospel.
I think it is like the story of the dead sea. There has to be an outlet. Grace opens that outlet in one and in turn more grace is give.
It is wonderful.
Bless you
Amen to that! The overflow of pure grace is... pure grace. :) I have such a different outlook now, having spent part of my Christian life "trying" to give and "trying" to be generous and even "trying" to be a witness. When I was opened up to grace, I spent some time just soaking in it and learning more and more about it. The learning will never end, but once a person has been rooted and established in grace, he cannot help but have it affect the way life is lived (and not lived). Indeed, grace opens that outlet in a way that law and "trying" never could. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteTo follow a thought of a Rich Mullins quote in this post, my ambition to be a good guy is a fleshly ambition. Fleshly ambitions, even if "good," don't bear the fruit of the Spirit. But if my ambition is to walk by the Spirit with the awareness of the indwelling Christ, then I won't have to "try" to be a good guy in order for the fruit of goodness to flow out.