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The Law of Legacy – Ecclesiastes

The difference between work and calling.

The gold passes from generation to generation – and keeps shining long after the first is gone.
Leadership Law #21

The Law of Legacy: A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.

Bible passageEcclesiastes 9Read on BibleServer.com
2 min read

Every person has a calling, and often that calling is something different from what they are currently working at. The work is what they get paid for. But the calling is what God has given them for their life. The work can change, here and there, but the calling remains. Current work can even be preparation for the actual calling. This passage from Ecclesiastes 9 gives leaders good material to reflect on regarding the Law of Legacy:

A white line keeps changing its shape while the golden line beneath stays straight and is passed on – work versus calling.
A white line keeps changing its shape while the golden line beneath stays straight and is passed on – work versus calling.
  • Work with joy and good courage. (Ecclesiastes 9:7-9)
  • Work with all your strength at the things that need to be done. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
  • Work with wisdom, for it is better than strength. (Ecclesiastes 9:13-18)
Ecclesiastes 9:7-18
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
The Emptiness of Wisdom
11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:
14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
Bible passage
Back to the basics

Find out what is behind the Law of Legacy – with explanation, animation and quick check.

Source: John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership · More about the origin

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