What’s in your wake?

The Wake Of A Leader

During the first few weeks of a new year many people begin to recognize the opportunity to make plans, lists, dreams, and goals to re-imagine what a new year might look like! A lot of people also like to look back on the previous year like 2020 to reflect and remember. 

Two questions I would ask every individual would be what’s in your wake? And who’s in your wake? As we reach towards a bright and hopeful future, let’s also realize what we leave behind for the next generation. 

What’s in your wake?

I took the above photo a year ago. We just had our first daughter join our family this spring of 2020. For our “baby-moon” we went on a cruise (pre-coronavirus, I promise). And from the back of the giant ship, as I looked out for miles and miles where all I could see was blue ocean on two sides except where whitecaps of water created a giant wake. The combination of the beautiful view and my soon changing season of life into fatherhood got me thinking, what am I leaving behind me? What is in my wake? Is it love? Blessing? Kindness? Generosity? Or the opposites.

There’s a quote from John Maxwell that I absolutely love. He says: “a leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” I believe in other words, that a followable leader leads the way. Leaders are pioneers. They go where other people haven’t gone. They leave a path behind them for others to follow in. That path, I call a wake. 

The wake of a leader can lead to blessing and life. It can also lead to death and destruction. The point is we all leave something behind us. So what are we leaving behind us? Sometimes the question is asked: “are you living for your resume or your eulogy?” 

Along those lines, the writer of Proverbs 22:1 teaches us that “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Our reputation is what people think of when they hear our name. The revelation of this is to become aware that our decisions write the script of the story which will one day be told of us. 

I often think of the amazing story of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and inventor. With over 350 patents, he was most well-known during his lifetime for the invention of dynamite. When Alfred’s brother died, the press published his obituary by mistake and called Alfred the “angel of death.” He had a moment of self-reflection during his lifetime that brought about an awareness. The rare opportunity to consider one’s legacy that would be left behind them when they die. In this case, he was leaving behind an explosive invention that had lethal implications. 

Understandably, Alfred was devastated, and his story goes down in history as a testimony and proof that your reputation can indeed turn around! He spent the last years of his life funding peace prizes. That legacy he left continues to live on globally known as the Nobel Peace Prize! 

This brings us to consider not only what we leave behind us, but who. 

Who’s in your wake?

We all leave someone behind us. I greatly appreciate the way Andy Stanley puts it: “Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise.” The way we were created is with a design to reproduce ourselves. This applies to parents, it applies to pastors, to teachers, to businesspeople, to leaders, and to anyone in any profession. 

Who is in your wake is shown in how you leave people. The life-giving wake is one that leaves people better than we found them. Every relationship. Every interaction. Every opportunity. Our call as Christ-followers is to be people who are the salt and the light of the world. Jesus taught that people would actually be able to tell we are his disciples in the way we loved and treated each other. 

As we reflect on our lives the important question to ask is how am I treating people? At school, in the workplace, in the small group, at home, in traffic, at the gym, the barista at the coffee shop – these are all daily opportunities to leave those we encounter better than we found them and treat them with the love of Christ. 

Matthew 7:12 is a part of Jesus’ famous sermon on the mount and this verse might be best known as the Golden Rule – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” 

Some of the areas might be obvious and stand out to you and some of the ways this can be applied can often be overlooked. The thing about Jesus’ teaching which was countercultural then and remains countercultural in our world today – he starts that sentence with the Greek word “panta” which in English is translated everything. In both languages, everything means all things. 

We don’t only get to treat the people we like the way we want to be treated. The part where this teaching really comes to life is when we treat people in who we don’t want to treat well like Jesus would treat them and how we ourselves would want to be treated. 

I’ll give you an example: some individuals leading companies treat employees they hire and onboard like royalty. When it comes to “offboarding” a staff or team member, though, little to no thought is given to how these individuals feel or what their experience is. And in many cases, they aren’t treated kindly. The wake that is left behind can be destruction, broken trusted, broken relationships, and a fear of continuing on. 

Course Corrections 

If your wake does not go in the direction you want it to in the life you’re living, you can turn it around. It’s called repentance. As long as there is breath in your lungs, it’s never too late to change your course. Allow me to illustrate: 

I read about the story of Tokichi Ishii. Tokichi was a criminal and also had a reputation for having the temper of a tiger! He killed people, and even in jail, fought prison guards. Eventually, two missionaries from visited him, shared about the gospel of Jesus Christ with him and gave him a new testament bible. Before he was executed, Tokichi had a moment where he evaluated his life and repented of his sins. 

This didn’t change his consequences of being in prison, or his death sentence. He did however, experience sincere repentance and life change. He also found salvation in Jesus and is now in heaven with Jesus, his savior. 

Tokichi wrote in his journal: “Someone may hear ‘The most desperate villain who ever lived repented of his sins and was saved by the power of Christ. And come to repentance also. So it may be that although I am poor myself, I will be able to make many rich.’” 

Consider today what you’re leaving behind, who you’re leaving behind, and what adjustments you may desire to change with a course correction!