Ethos

John Piper tweeted the other day, "Your legacy is the fragrance of your life that remains when you yourself are not present. -Daniel Taylor"


This is a fantastic quote that gets our minds on the things that really matter, and reminds us that our lives do not last forever. What will be the fragrance of my life that remains after I am gone?


When I read this quote, I immediately thought of a word I heard a few years ago... ethos.


Erwin McManus had written an article on the word ethos (which by the way, his book Chasing Daylight had a profound impact on my life), and the only thing I can remember is that ethos represents the essence or spirit of something.Or maybe according to the quote above, the fragrance of something.


Consider the ethos of a company, a nation, a leader, a friend, or our own life. If I were to take a poll, what would people say is the essence of my life? What fragrance am I giving off? This question could almost be asked another way - if you had one word to describe my life, what would it be? What is the essence of my life? Sounds like a good exercise.


I would encourage you to consider and ask the same.