2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 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.

As Paul was nearing the end of his ministry he was very aware of the matter of succession. Timothy was his son in the faith, and he wanted him to be all that God intended him to be. Just as Paul had been faithful to teach Timothy, he wanted Timothy in turn to teach others. Two aphorisms come to mind. One is, “God has no grandchildren,” and the other is, “There is no success without a successor.” Both are true, but limited. “God has no grandchildren” is true in the sense that everyone must have their own relationship to Christ as Savior and Lord, which makes them children of God. (John 1:11-12) At the same time, we are called to birth people into the family of God, just as Timothy was Paul’s son in the faith. We cannot be saved by someone believing for us, but we can receive faith through someone. “There is no success without at successor” is true in terms of long term impact and success, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t have success at specific projects. The thrust of this saying, which came to me through Kevin Conner and his son Mark, is that the Church is always just one generation away from extinction. Just as Paul did with Timothy, every minister of the Gospel must be working for generational transfer, both of faith and of ministry. A very important facet of that is for the older generation to let go. “Entrust” means exactly what it says: to trust someone with something enough to let go of it yourself. The one receiving it will probably make mistakes, but you’ve got to let go of it anyway. That is a major issue in ministry, and many ministers have failed miserably at it.

Ouch! I’m stomping on my own toes pretty hard here. The area of letting go has never been a strong suit for me! I am growing in this area, however. It is easier than it used to be for me to let a young person preach. This past Sunday was a good case in point, and the message that was brought by Hiroki Kawata was excellent. It was not my style, but it was the Word of God. When preaching comes so easily for me, it has been hard to release it to others who have to work harder at it than I do. The difference in styles can make truths I have sought to communicate hit home in ways that haven’t happened with my messages. I need to let go of other things as well. Just because something isn’t done the way I would do it doesn’t mean it’s wrong! I have had a tendency to micromanage, and that doesn’t raise people up to multiply my ministry and eventually succeed me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the pastors who are currently serving other churches, but were raised here. Thank you for the two currently here, who are committed to full-time ministry. Enable me to train them without micromanaging, to correct without squashing, to encourage them to grow in the unique gifts and calling that You have given them, so that they may in turn rise up to teach and train others, so that the Church may be built up, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!