Have you ever stopped and looked around to see who is coming behind you, following in your footsteps, preparing to continue what you are doing? We can be guilty of focusing too much on our efforts and overlook the next generation. We need to pay attention to those who come behind us. Who’s got next? Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Continuation is not something that just happens, we need to prepare for it. We need to realize our activities will be handed off to someone to continue or they will perish with us. One of the most important activities we can be involved in is identifying who the next generation is and pouring our wealth of experience and knowledge into them. If we expect things to continue, and they will, we should make the effort to mentor, train, support and encourage those who will follow us.
In his words to Timothy, the one Paul trained to come after, he shared this;
2 Timothy 4:5-7; NLT; But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
What is accomplished in life if we don’t pass along the lessons we have learned, the knowledge we have attained or the experience we gained? There is so much that we can share. Don’t misunderstand; there is an art to raising up the next generation. It is work. It doesn’t just happen.
Lessons need to be learned and the phrase; “because I told you to” doesn’t work as well as letting them learn through experiencing failure. Yes, the technique to teaching most times involves letting lessons be learned and then picking them up, dusting them off and pointing them in the direction that will lead to a more successful outcome. Even then there is no guarantee they will listen. Many a parent has shared the difficulty they have endured raising the next generation.
Christian Life Chapel is no different than any other organization; provisions need to be made for who is coming next. The question that needs to be asked; “Do we want this to continue?” You see, if nothing is done with a thought to the future and continuing there is more likelihood it will stop. If we are not moving forward, we are moving backward, the world just passes us by.
We need to overcome the idea that there is no place to go. There are so many people in our communities that need the hope and security having a relationship with Jesus can bring, we cannot be complacent. We cannot be self-focused, our journey isn’t for us, it is to reach them.
We need to be looking for who God has called to come behind us. We need to have an expectation that God is still working, that He is still saving, that He is still forgiving. When we realize that it is God who decides when the end comes, we will be even more excited to continue His work.
I want to encourage you to engage in a three-pronged approach to providing hope. First, there needs to be people you are praying for. People who don’t have a relationship with Christ. People who are on the outer edges of your life. People you have the opportunity to influence with your actions. Pray for them. Pray that you would have the opportunity to build a relationship with them. Pray that their heart would be opened to God and His call.
Second, there needs to be people you have a relationship with, but it needs to be deeper, stronger, and include Christ. Pray for the opportunity to build that relationship. Pray for the opportunity to share about Christ. Pray for the wisdom, strength and courage to take that opportunity.
Third, we need to have people in our lives we are mentoring. People we have relationships with built on trust and integrity. We need to be bold and help them understand that life needs to be lived to honor God. We need to live that way also, as an example and witness. Only those who know Christ will recognize His presence in our lives. That will confirm in their heart the need to learn and grow in their spiritual development with Christ.
We need to be intentional. We need to be purposeful. We need to ask God to guide us to those people he has prepared to listen.
God has called those who are coming next. We need to identify them and take the responsibility of nurturing that call. Please pray as we look toward the future and those who will be next.
Blessings,
Pastor Don