There is something very special about Paul’s second letter to Timothy. These are the last recorded words of Paul. As he writes this letter, Paul knows that his execution is imminent. It is a very personal letter as Paul reflects on his life and as he passes the baton of his ministry to Timothy. He knows it is now up to the next generation to continue the ministry he began. So, he has evidently been praying earnestly for Timothy. We carry the baton of the last generation, and we are responsible for passing it to the next— the same baton which Paul passed to Timothy. Paul’s longing for Timothy, expressed here in 2 Timothy, could therefore apply to us. It is possible for one generation to either impede or accelerate the mission of God. Of course, God is sovereign in all this, but we should recognise the responsibility we have to continue what generations before us have entrusted to us. May it not be our generation that slows down the momentum of Kingdom growth. The greatest inheritance we will leave to the next generation is not our property but our passion for God’s purpose. We can establish a momentum now that will catapult the next generation forward to new and better things. Let’s pass a burning torch to our children and grandchildren, not one that is smouldering faintly. May our lives demonstrate to them that to live fully, is to live for God’s mission. I encourage you to think about your life in terms of what you are passing on to the next generation.
And ask God to give you a greater perspective on your life.
Read 2 Timothy 1:1-12
