What do you want to do with your life?

"What do you want to do with your life?"

It seems like a fundamental question that many have been trying to answer since before their preschool days. Some are currently on their way to their retirement party, still trying to answer that question. But it is the wrong question.

The better question is, "what do you want to be known for?" The first, "what do you want to do," is a question of conduct. The second is a question of character. The first question punches a clock while the second builds a legacy. The first says, "this is what I do," the second declares, "this is who I am."

Psalm 112 expresses the priority of character over a career in writing,

1 How joyful are those who fear the Lord

and delight in obeying his commands.

2 Their children will be successful everywhere;

an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.

The Psalmist reflects on the joy in those who place the Lord first within their lives. There is a healthy sense of smallness when God is revered. A feeling that no matter what I accomplish or don't, the Lord is the Lord, and I am not. A sense that my life is measured by what he says matters. Joy grows in the hearts of those who know there is one who is greater than what is seen, touched, and experienced.

The Psalmist also encourages taking pleasure in surrendering oneself to the Lord's instructions. The question of what I want to be known for does not need to be drafted from thin air. Character traits of honesty, integrity, generosity, graciousness are rooted in words and exemplified, both in what to do and what to avoid, in the narratives of the Bible. Aligning yourself under the words of the Lord produces joy within your life.

Lastly, the Psalmist encourages a legacy. Generations are blessed. Imagine being known as a conduit of blessing. You live your life not to accomplish a big name but to be an avenue of blessing to generations that follow.

Hundreds of hours have been spent on conferences, books and self-help talks designed to help you decide what to be when you grow up. Asking yourself what you want to be known for builds a legacy by focusing on how you want the most important people in your life to describe you when you are no longer around.