Staining a legacy

I’m going to be short and to the point.  You want to stain your legacy, even after you are dead…do something stupid.  OR, don’t do anything at all.

Joe Paterno’s legacy is forever changed because of what he didn’t do.  Even as a die-hard Penn State fan, I can’t even seem to justify in any way why Paterno and others didn’t take more action.  He didn’t and all the years…ALL THE YEARS of excellence in other areas of his life and their football program are being tarnished because he didn’t take more action.

So here’s reality.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Don’t let inaction cause your legacy of ministry be affected forever.  Don’t let a “small little thing” enter into your life and cause your legacy to be altered.  If something (not just something as horrible and as big as what happened at Penn State) is happening that you need to speak up about and need to handle, take care of it.  If you are starting to enter a “gray” area of your life that you know is not right, stop it immediately.  It can only lead to ruin.

In early November, everyone was celebrating Paterno’s 409th victory being the all-time winningness coach in NCAA history.  Now, just 9 months later, his legacy is a shell of what it was that November day.  If over 40 years of great work in other areas of his life can be altered that quickly, even after he is dead, your legacy can be undone just as quickly.  Nothing is untouchable.  So make sure yours doesn’t get stained, even after you are dead.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Suggestions?