What Do You Want To Be Remembered For?
On September 10, 2025, a prominent voice in the American conservative movement was silenced by an assasin's bullet. Charlie Kirk was the founder and driving voice behind TPUSA (Turning Point, USA), a nonprofit organization that promotes conservative values like free markets, limited government, traditional family, and love of God and country on high school and college campuses.
This wasn't the first time Kirk faced the threat of death, but it was ultimately the last (both literally and spiritually).
He had spoken to massive audiences on the world stage. He had become a friend and a confidante of some of the most powerful people in the US and around the world. He had grown a grassroots movement from a partnership with a handful of high school buddies to an international ministry with thousands of chapters on campuses both here and abroad. He is credited with having made the single greatest contribution for drawing young people into the conservative movement in modern history. He was a political powerhouse, a minister of the Gospel, a highly successful entrepeneur, a husband, and a father. And he accomplished it all before he even celebrated his 32nd birthday. He was, if nothing else, a classic over-achiever.
Yet when asked what he would most want to be remembered for, Kirk simply said ...
"I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing; [the] most important thing is my faith."
Whether you agree with some, all, or none of his talking points, we can all agree that it takes courage to speak what we believe and to stand on and for our conviictions.
You may not have a platform like Charlie Kirk's. You may not even like Charlie Kirk. But it's well worth asking yourself, "What do you most want to be remembered for?"
Do you share his heart to be remembered for the courage to boldly live and share your faith?
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you (John 15:18, ESV). "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12, ESV). "But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33, ESV).
Speak boldly Christian! Cower not!
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10, ESV).
The Story of Oseola McCarty
Oseola McCarty was a humble washerwoman from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Born in 1908, she lived a modest life, earning her livelihood by hand-washing clothes for local families. Despite her meager income, Oseola had a profound sense of frugality and purpose. Over the decades, she quietly saved the majority of her earnings, living simply and without extravagance.
At the age of 87, Oseola made a decision that stunned the world. She donated $150,000 of her life savings to the University of Southern Mississippi to fund scholarships for deserving African American students who lacked financial resources for higher education. Her only request was that the money be used to help students who were serious about their education.
When asked why she gave away so much of her savings, Oseola replied:
"I wanted to help somebody’s child go to college. I’m too old to get an education, but they can."
Oseola’s gift inspired countless others to follow her example. Her story received national attention, and additional donations poured in, multiplying the impact of her generosity. She received numerous awards and honorary degrees, but she remained humble, focused only on the joy of giving and helping others.
Giving isn’t about the size of the gift, it’s about the heart behind it. Oseola’s generosity, born out of selflessness and compassion, transformed lives and left a lasting legacy. Her story reminds us that even the smallest acts of giving can create ripples of positive change.
"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered" (Proverbs 11:24-25, ESV).
"Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:1-4, ESV).
Family Heirlooms
I like the idea of family heirlooms. Something tangible and meaningful that I can pass on to my kids that will give them a lasting connection and memory of previous generations of our family. I often think about what I could give them. My grandfather had a nice Swiss watch that I received after he died, but it isn't working and just sits in a drawer. I also received a Winchester rifle for deer hunting that my Grandfather used, but when I took it to the range, I realized the barrel was worn out. It did not shoot very accurately at all anymore. My mother gave me a wall clock that had been in my family for years. It was beautiful, and I remember its pleasant chime that announced every hour when I was a kid. After winding it up and hanging it on the wall, we realized that it wasn't working either. Its chiming days were over.
It seemed that the only things I had to hand down to my kids were not working, broken and useless. Then I thought about giving my kids one of my old bibles. As I looked through them I found that they were all well worn, marked up and falling a part.
I think these are all reminders that everything in this world becomes broken and useless. Everything of this world that we hand down to our kids will break, wear out or fall apart.
The most important thing we can hand down to the next generation is our faith. It is our faith in Jesus that will never spoil, rot or fade. It will never break, wear out or fall apart.
I don't mean just to hand down the outward expression of faith, like going to church and praying before meals. Those things are important as long as they point to Jesus, but if they become what's most important then they have lost their value entirely.
I realized that I have already been handing down to my kids what is most valuable, a example of walking with Jesus. Every time I pray with my kids, every time we read the Bible together, every time we love our neighbor, we are giving them something that will last for eternity through modeling a relationship with God.
An important part of our model to our kids should be giving and receiving forgiveness. Our kids know more than most people that we are not perfect. We don't model perfection; we model people who live by grace. We can teach them how to deal with our imperfections by asking for forgiveness and teaching them about the forgiveness of Christ every chance we get.
I ended up giving each of my kids one of my worn out, marked up, Bibles that are falling apart. I did that not so they can pass on those books to their kids, but so they can pass down the example of reading it, using and marking it up. The ability and desire to hear God's voice through is Word is what's most important to give to the generations to come.