How Do You Want To Be Remembered?

(The following Blog is taken from a sermon presented to the School of Music and Worship Arts Students at Trevecca Nazarene University on March 19, 2026.

Good morning, students… What a joy it is to be with you today.
I want you to know—I truly love speaking to college students. But I especially love speaking to you. When I think about the School of Music and Worship Arts, I think of students who are bright, creative, thoughtful, ambitious… and deeply caring.

You are a generation that genuinely loves people. You want to help. You want to serve. You want to make a difference. I once heard a speaker say, “This generation may be the most altruistic generation we’ve ever seen — they love to give of themselves.” And that matters.

When I was asked to speak today, my first thought was simple: “Why?"
I mean… I’m retiring. And I wondered, “What do students really want to hear from this old guy?” I thought, “Well, I’ll teach a passage on worship.”
Then I thought, “No… I should talk about calling — that’s what I spoke on the first time I addressed this School of Music in the Spring of 2022.”
Then I thought, “Maybe I should share lessons from growing up on the mission field… how our family learned to trust Jesus.” I prayed. I asked God to give me a clear word — a vision — for this moment.

Finally, I did what I often do when I’ve exhausted my own thinking… I asked my wife, Beth. She is my best sounding board. She helps me focus on what really matters.

And instead of answering my question… she asked me one. Beth rather firmly said: “If the Lord were to take you home today… what five things would you want people to say about you?”

I’ll be honest — that is not what I wanted to talk about. I’m already a little uneasy about retiring… and I’m not in a hurry to get in that next line — you know… the funeral line. In fact, I’m not even sure I want to retire… my retired friends all seem to die. I definitely don’t want to get in THAT line.

But the more I thought about her question… the more I realized…She may be on to something.
That may be the most important question I could ask you today.

So let me ask all of us — students, faculty, staff, administration: When your life is over… what do you want people to remember about you? Moses wrote Psalm 90 a song — a reflection on the brevity of life and the faithfulness of God.

Listen carefully … THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD: “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

For all our days are passed away… we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90 reminds us: Life is short.  Time is moving.  And what we do with our days… matters.

The Lord has given me six and a half years here at Trevecca. Before that — Liberty University for 15 years… Olive Baptist Church for 6… Cedarville University for 5 years… the University of Oklahoma for 7… and Welch College for 10. … and along the way hundreds of opportunities for missions trips and ministry to people around the globe.  And what happened at those places… will happen here:

In just a few short months, the name “Dr. Vernon Whaley” will simply be a memory… rarely spoken. And in maybe 3 or 4 years, most of the students enrolled in one of the music degrees won’t know who I am… or what I did.  And honestly — that same thing will be true for every one of us. That is life. So the question is not if we will be remembered…

The question is:  How? How will I be remembered? If I could answer that question for my own life, there are five things I would hope people would say.

1. I love Jesus.
More than anything else… I want to be remembered as someone who loved the Lord with all my heart.
I love worshiping God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is my Lord.
Not just academically… not just musically… but personally.
Jesus said in Matthew 22:37: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
And in John 14:15: “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Love for Jesus is not sentiment — it is surrender. It is seen in obedience… in devotion… in worship. And here is what I have learned: You will never regret loving Jesus fully — but you will regret loving anything else more.  And when your love for Christ is settled… it begins to shape everything else in your life.

2. I love my family.
I love Beth Smith Whaley—she is my soulmate of 54 years this June.
I love my children—Jeremy and Laurie… their spouses Kenya and Jeremy Roe… and my grandchildren—Carter, Luca, Noah, Daisy, Eliza, and Aliyana.
That love runs deep.  1 Timothy 5:8 reminds us of the responsibility to care for our household.
Students — your public ministry will never be more important than your home. Your public success will never compensate for private neglect. Love your family well.
Because the way you love at home… will shape the way you lead everywhere else.
And when love is rightly ordered at home… it overflows into how you love others.

3. I genuinely love people.
And yes—especially college music students. I love watching that moment when truth becomes real—when the light comes on. I love seeing you grow… learn… and I love watching you worship with passion.
I love this music faculty. Over the years, I’ve worked with at least five distinct faculties—as a leader, as a teammate, as a colleague.
I love building together… exploring new ideas… creating systems that help others teach and lead more effectively. And I love seeing faculty flourish — being promoted, earning advanced degrees, growing in their calling.
Philippians 2:3–4 reminds us to value others above ourselves. People are not interruptions to your ministry… they are your ministry. Everything in life is about relationships. Everything.
Take time to listen. Take time to care. Take time to invest.
Because people may forget your talent — but they will never forget how you loved them.

4. I was faithful to God’s call.
I knew God had called me. And I sought to be faithful.
1 Corinthians 4:2 says: “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
Students — please hear me: “You will have many opportunities in life. But never lose sight of your calling. Enjoy the music. Create. Perform. Write. Record.    But let everything you do serve the calling God has placed on your life.

Do not trade calling for convenience. Do not trade purpose for popularity. Do not trade calling for celebrity. Let your gifts serve your calling — not distract from it.
And when you remain faithful… your life begins to carry eternal weight.
Let me say it again:  Let everything you do serve the calling God has placed on your life.

5. I sought to advance the Kingdom of God.
I want to be remembered as someone who lived with eternity in view. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God…” And Colossians 3:2:  “Set your affection on things above…”

Your gifts are not your own. They are entrusted to you by God. He loans them to you—and He expects you to develop them and use them for His glory. So use them well.

Invest your life in what will outlive you. Because when you live for the Kingdom… your life becomes part of something far greater than yourself.
So what do we learn from Psalm 90?
Ask God to teach us to number our days
Find satisfaction in His mercy — His MERCIES ARE NEW every morning
Rejoice in every day — it is a gift.
And let the beauty of the Lord rest upon your life
Let Him establish the work of your hands.

Now… let me tell you a story.  Do you know the hymn “This Is My Father’s World?” I grew up singing it—especially in Vacation Bible School. Maltbie D. Babcock was a pastor, a musician, and a man who deeply loved God. While serving in New York, he would often take early morning walks along Lake Ontario. And before leaving, he would say:
“I’m going out to see my Father’s world.”
On one particular morning — May 18, 1901 — he went for his walk. He spent time with the Lord… reflecting on Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof…”
The world was unsettled.  Nations were restless.  Conflict was rising. World War I was on the horizon. But in that quiet moment… he sensed the presence of God. He returned to his study… sat down… and began to write

Stanza One celebrates the glory of God revealed in the natural world:
This is my Father’s world
And to my listening ears,
All nature sings,
And round me rings,
The music of the spheres.

Stanza Two: Deepens this vision that all creation joins in worship and obedience to its Maker (Isaiah 55:12; Psalm 148:3–5).
This is my Father’s world,
He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass
I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

Babock’s heart was so full of praise and awesome wonder that he wrote 14 more stanzas … all about the wonder of God’s creation… In his final stanza, he acknowledges the tension of living in a fallen world, yet boldly affirms that despite sin and suffering, God remains sovereign and His rule is unthreatened (Romans 8:22–23; Psalm 46:10):

Stanza Three:
This is my Father’s world,
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world,
The battle is not done,
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and heaven be one.
And then… something remarkable happened.
After writing these words in his journal… Babcock laid his head down at his desk — Bible open, pen still in hand – journal wet with ink … praise in his hear…and he died.  God called Maltbie D. Babcock home.
Think about that. His final moments on earth… were filled with worship. His last testimony… was praise. And in that moment, he stepped into eternity —  to fully see the God he had loved… worshiped… and just written about.
There is an old Irish worship song that says:
“When it’s all been said and done,
there is just one thing that matters…
Did I do my best to live for truth,
did I live my life for You?”
So as we close… Let me ask you one more time — Students… faculty… friends… When it’s all been said and done… what will people remember about you?
Will they say:
You loved Jesus?
You loved people?
You were faithful?
You lived for the Kingdom?
Because one day… You and I will stand before the Lord. And what will matter most is not our platform… not our significance … not our success… not our recognition…
not our prestige… But our faithfulness to love and serve God.
MY CHALLENGE:  Live for Jesus.  Love deeply.  Stay faithful to your calling.
And invest your life in what will last forever. Because when it’s all been said and done… Only what is done for Christ… will matter.