Manual For Fulfilling Your Purpose: Part 11(Final) - Leaving A Lasting Legacy

 Part 11 (Final) - Leaving a lasting legacy

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (II Timothy 2:2 NKJV).

No success is complete without a successor. Every vision with eternal significance must go beyond the initial bearers. Every God-inspired purpose must extend to generations beyond the current. Paul in the Scripture above explains the method of exponential growth and progress of God's purposes. Paul passed the baton to Timothy, and Timothy was to pass it to faithful men who will also pass it on. God's vision of spreading the gospel to the nations was not to end with Paul. God's vision is progressive, generational and eternal. It is therefore imperative that we look beyond ourselves into the future and prepare accordingly.

Type of successor

Paul stressed to Timothy that he commit the work to faithful men. It is important therefore that we chose wisely the people we entrust the vision to. Timothy was not to commit his time and resources to everyone, but only to faithful men who will be able to also teach others. The goal is multiplication, not stagnation. 

Many visions, and great dreams have collapsed because we entrusted them to unfaithful people. People who were just passing or on a joy ride. We are guilty of entrusting our treasured possessions with unreliable people. The problem is that we have prioritized people who have made as an optional extra in their lives. Chose carefully whom you commit to so that you won't be sorry tomorrow. When the Galatians were straying in faith, Paul wrote in Galatians 4 v 11, " I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." We can not afford to labor in vain when it comes to matters of the Kingdom.

Faithful men will produce increase and multiplication for the vision. Therefore, do not spend your valuable time, energy and resources on just anybody. Stop laboring to produce a harvest out of a rock. Only Moses was called to produce water out of a rock. You and I should sow into fertile ground. We must strive for maximum kingdom return for our investment. Even Paul had to part ways with John-Mark and his uncle in order to pursue maximum outcomes in his missionary work.

Characteristics of a good successor 

There are two main characteristics that are important as you identify faithful people to mentor and reproduce for the Kingdom. They must be hungry for God, and they must be available for God. Do not commit your time to people who got no time for God. Do not commit your resources to people who got no desire for God. It is not personal, it is because time is of the essence. Romans 13 v 11 says, " And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand..." Since it is high time we need to move with clarity of purpose and speed. We can't take risk with unfaithful people in matters of raising leaders to impact the next generation. We have to be intentional and resolute in our approach. We have to leave a lasting legacy. 

Do not spend time with people who are proud and unteachable, pass them very quickly. Find someone who is empty of pride, and fill them with the things of the Kingdom. When you meet a "Mr Know-It-All", pass by quickly and find someone you can build up for the future. Moses had Joshua and Aaron, Elijah had Elisha, Jesus had the twelve disciples, Paul had Timothy, Titus and Silas. Who do you have? For the sake of the Kingdom, find yourself some faithful people.

Training successors

Primarily there are three ways to train up successors. It is through observation, teaching and experiential training.

1. Observation 

Young Timothy observed Paul discharging his call and purpose. He accompanied Paul on many mission trips and observed how Paul went about doing the business of The Lord. We need to let our successors to tag along as we pursue our dreams so that they can visualize the vision. Otherwise they will have to rely on the television to tell them the vision. Observation is powerful as people will see practically how you handle different situations. There is a saying, 'monkey see monkey do.' People will remember what they observed you demonstrate more than what you said.

2. Teaching

Teaching is a process of imparting knowledge. Be generous with information and eradicate ignorance. Jesus taught His disciples. In Acts 4 v 13 it says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." Peter and John surprised the elders, scribes, priests and Sadducees with their knowledge because they were uneducated. However, everybody realized that Peter and John can only have that knowledge because they have been with Jesus, who taught them the Holy Scriptures. 

3. Experiential training

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. (Luke 10:1 NKJV).

Training is incomplete without practicals. Jesus did not only teach, he also sent his disciples to go and preach. This was the only way to see if they had understood him. You might forget what you hear, you might remember what you see, but if you do something you know it. Furthermore, if you do something repeatedly, it becomes your second nature.