Whether you are just getting started or are nearing the conclusion of it, what is your vision for your career? If you could write an advance summary of what you hope to have accomplished when your lifetime of work has ended, what would it include?
We all approach our jobs and careers with different perspectives, a diversity of goals and objectives. For some, money is the primary focus – wanting to earn as much as possible for as long as possible. Some hold a similar goal – except they intend to earn and save enough money to be able to retire comfortably and do what they really want to do. Their primary focus at work is the day they can stop working.
Some people strive for professional advancement, either by climbing the corporate ladder or by starting and building a successful entrepreneurial enterprise. They want both success and recognition. Then there are those who work because they genuinely enjoy and derive satisfaction from their vocations. They are experiencing what the author of Ecclesiastes 5:18 observed: “Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun…for this is his lot.”
Whatever goals and objectives you have in your work, by all means pursue them with a plan for realizing them. However, when all has been said and done concerning the work you have performed, what will remain? This is a question that Patrick Morley has posed. He is an author and speaker who has gained prominence as an authority on men’s issues. I was going through some files this week when I came across the following observation Morley made some years ago on social media:
“This morning I was trying to remember the name of the enormously successful businessman and iconic philanthropist in Tampa, Florida who used to own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a professional football team. His name was constantly in the news. He was far more well-known that you or I will ever be, yet 10 years after the last time I heard his name, I cannot remember it. And there are many more just like him.”
I do not remember the man’s name either. He may have done much good with his financial resources and influence, but popularity and fame are fleeting. Whether one is a popular entertainer, gifted musician, prominent CEO, celebrated surgeon, noted attorney, or gifted athlete, eventually their time in the spotlight will end and they will be replaced by someone else to enjoy their “day in the sun.” So, here is the question Morley posed: Who will remember your name 10 years after you die? This may not be easy to answer, but it is an excellent question to use for setting the priorities for your life!
God used the prophet Isaiah to call the nation of Israel to repentance. Even though the Israelites were often stiff-necked and disobedient, the Lord never forgot His covenant promises to them. Through the prophet He said, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine…. Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:1-4).
First, it is important to never forget that God has called us to serve Him and participate in His eternal purposes. Second, there is no greater investment than to pour our lives into other people, introducing them to Jesus Christ and helping them to grow in their faith, so that they can tell others. As the apostle Paul exhorted his protégé Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).
© 2026. Robert J. Tamasy has written Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Pursuing Life With a Shepherd’s Heart, coauthored with Ken Johnson; andThe Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard, and numerous other books and magazine articles. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
- If you were to summarize right now what you hope to have accomplished through your life and work once it is over, what thoughts come to mind?
- Think of some examples of people who once were “household names” but who have since faded into the pages of history. For example, who won the Academy Award for best actor in 2012? Who was named the most valuable player in your favorite sport in 2006? Who was named “person of the year” by a prominent magazine in 1997?
- What would be your answer to the question, “Who will remember your name 10 years after you die?”
- How steps might we take to ensure that we leave an indelible, positive mark that endures long after our working careers have come to a close – or our time on earth has ended? What does it mean to maintain an eternal perspective for our lives?
NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more, consider the following passages: Ecclesiastes 3:11; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 1:13, 4:2
Challenge for This Week
Many successful business and professional people have admitted, “I climbed the corporate ladder – only to discover it was leaning against the wrong wall.” In other words, the things they had hoped to achieve and find fulfilling were not what they expected.
This week it might be profitable to find a colleague, an advisor or small group to discuss your mutual vocational goals and expectations to determine whether you are moving in the right direction from a long-term, even eternal perspective.
