Our Heavenly Father’s heart is filled up with so many truly amazing and wonderful things. I sometimes find myself wondering why it is that He desires so deeply to pass those things on to us. Yet in His infinite wisdom He so liberally shares of His heart. This is the beauty of our Heavenly Father. His deepest desire is for us to grow, to prosper and to expand His kingdom. Our Lord is not stingy. He does not withhold from us the things we need to know to further His kingdom. Since this is our Father’s heart for us then shouldn’t we have that same desire for those who come behind us? Shouldn’t we desire to train others up in kingdom living? Shouldn't it be our heart’s desire to train others in kingdom expansion?
As I find myself asking these questions I also have to ask, “Am I preparing the next generation to take over for me when I’m gone?” How about you? Are you training up anyone to take over for you? It is so important that we have the type of heart that is preparing the next generation to take our place. Far too often in our competitive, capitalistic society we keep the next generation at arms length rather than training them to know everything we know in hopes that they will exceed us and do a far better job than we ever could. We push our young people aside just so we ourselves can get ahead, and for what? We can not take our jobs, houses, money, cars, or even the physical things we did here on earth to further the kingdom with us. All of those things we leave behind for the next generation to carry on. Rather than leaving them to fend for themselves, we should be training them up to take over the family business. What is the family business you ask? The family business is simply “kingdom expansion.” Are we training others to expand the kingdom? Are we training the next generation of believers to grow the kingdom or are we carrying this load all on our own?
When I look at fathers in the Bible who trained up their children in the family business Paul is my most favorite example. Now, as far as I know Paul did not have any natural children of his own, but that does not mean he did not raise up others to take over the family business once he left this earth. Paul poured into so many lives during his ministry, but the one life Paul poured into which stands out for me, is Timothy. Paul didn’t simply look after Timothy. Paul made opportunities for Timothy to grow, practice, and live out the very things he himself was doing. Paul gave Timothy a chance to see what Paul did, do what Paul did, and put into practice what Paul was doing both right along side Paul, as well as sending Timothy out to practice on his own without Paul being physically present. (To read more on this concept click here.) Paul knew and understood the importance of training up the next generation in kingdom expansion.
“If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am. No one, then should refuse to accept him. Send him on his way in peace so that he may return to me. I am expecting him along with the brothers.” 1 Corinthians 16:10-11
I love that Paul trusted Timothy enough to send him out on various missions. Paul trusted the time and energy he had invested into the heart of Timothy. Paul trusted the fruit that Timothy was producing and therefore had no problem with sending him out to carry on the family business. It is so important that we invest deeply in the lives of other believers so that they will carry on the torch of spreading the gospel. We can not carry the gospel to the ends of the earth on our own. We need others to help carry the load. God has designed His kingdom for us to pass along to others the things we have learned. The wisdom that has been imparted to our hearts is not meant for us to hoard away in the recesses of our hearts and minds. The wisdom that God has given us has been placed in our possession for the short time it takes for us to grow from it and then it is our responsibility to pass it along to the next person or people who are in need of that very slice of wisdom that has enabled us to overcome our obstacles. God’s kingdom is designed around the principle that “freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8).
Paul also made certain that others understood that Timothy was carrying on the work of the Lord just as Paul himself was doing. Paul spelled it out in black and white that they were to receive Timothy as if they were receiving Paul himself. How many of us as parents would want others to accept our children in the same way they would accept us? If I poured out my heart soul, mind and strength into the spiritual upbringing that Paul poured into Timothy, you better believe I would want people treating them with a certain level of respect. So, that is exactly what Paul was doing. He was telling the Corinthian church “Hey look, I have trained this young man up myself and I have full confidence in him. So, because I have complete confidence in his ability I would like you to treat him with the utmost respect. He has my personal stamp of approval upon him. If you do not accept him as you would me, I will come and deal with you directly!” Paul meant business and rightfully so. If we spent the amount of time and energy pouring into Timothy that Paul did we would react the same way. I’d like to think that as Paul was sending Timothy out, he was having a “proud daddy” moment. He was probably so proud of the man that Timothy was becoming that he just could not wait to watch Timothy get his wings under him and start to soar. Paul was launching Timothy into the tremendous responsibilities of ministry and he was excited and proud to have the privilege of doing so.
This is exactly how we should be with other believers. We should be so excited about their moments of soaring. We should be proud of them for stepping out in faith and going about the Father’s business. Like Paul, we should want to bring others up in the family business and watch them bloom. God desires for us to encourage and strengthen one another in this way, to hold up each other’s hands and fight the good fight of faith together. We can not do it on our own. We must be willing to adopt the Father’s heart and bring others along with us, while at the same time allowing others to bring us along side them. We can learn and grow from one another.
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