Insights

Monday night was spent in celebration of my daughter’s 26th birthday and my parents came to town to celebrate with us. The conversation turned to songs and artists of each generation. As my parents reminisced about the Beach Boys, The Everly Brothers and Elvis, they told stories of high school dances where they fell in love. My daddy tried to encourage my mama to dance in the restaurant and my daughter looked at her husband and commented about the beautiful legacy she has been given by people who still want to dance together after 56 years of marriage. My daddy responded that the greatest legacy he wanted to pass on to her was a legacy of faith and trust in the Lord. I loved watching that and knowing that my parents have given their grandchildren a beautiful example of a long standing marriage and a lifetime of learning how to serve the Kingdom and love God more everyday. They are passing the baton of faith well to me and their grandchildren.

In a relay race, the person who is passing the baton to the next runner bears the greatest responsibility not to drop the baton. So if I am the runner passing the baton of faith to my children or grandchildren, I must endeavor to place it securely in their hand as they begin to run their leg of the race. There are several techniques for this because it is the most difficult part of a relay race.  It is where victory is sealed or defeat is looming. The causes of a poor handoff can be the result of nervousness, lack of practice, improper technique or fatigue.

Let’s take a look at how these could affect our passing of the baton.

Nervousness- I think sometimes as grandparents and parents endeavoring to pass the legacy of faith onto our children and grandchildren we feel nervous or inadequate because we haven't been perfect in running our own race of faith;  we begin to think it would be better if they heard it from a pastor or great spiritual leader. That is a lie of the enemy who wants to discourage you! Know that you are in exactly the right position to pass faith on to your children and grandchildren. You are who the Lord has chosen because of your position in their life!

Lack of practice- This, to me, is time spent with your children “practicing” how you walk with the Lord, letting them see you fail and succeed as you listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd guiding and directing you. Time spent seeking the Lord and learning how He speaks through His word and others will be invaluable to your children as they learn to run their race with Him.

Improper technique- Technique is the execution of a task. Consistency is the technique in how we follow the Lord. If we only rely on the Lord in certain situations but not others, it can bring confusion to our children about when their faith in Jesus should be paramount or when He is placed on the backburner. If we are consistent, NOT PERFECT, but consistent in our reliance on Jesus, it is rightfully conveyed to our children. His Presence should be felt in the way we handle finances, relationships, good days and bad. Our technique should be to reach out to Him in all areas.

Fatigue- Anybody out there tired? The better question is, is anybody out there not tired? Galatians 6:9 says. “And let us not grow weary while doing good; for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  I know it is exhausting to parent well these days. To be the exhorter, the disciplinarian, the co-teacher, the maid, the chef and the Uber driver! And on top of all that we need to make sure we are passing the baton of faith! In actuality, we need to start with faith and go from there. If something falls off the plate, it can’t be faith. Faith in the Lord is our vital nutrient, our core value, the essence of our life.

What my parents give to my children in this arena is invaluable to me as a parent. They set me up for success as I continue to pass the baton of faith to my children. They have run their race well. They are cheering me on. But so are the millions of people in the faith that have gone before us. Hebrews 11 is nicknamed the “Faith Chapter.”  It talks about all the heroes of the faith that ran their leg of the race well but the fulfillment of the race has not yet come so they are now cheering us on to run our race well. Hebrews 11:39-12:1 states, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”   
                                            
Let’s endeavor to run the race well, to pass the baton of faith well. It matters to our past heroes of the faith, it matters to our children and our children’s children. I am very thankful to be on this leg of the journey with you. Keep the faith and pass the baton well!

Becky Ross
Primary Education Principal
Logos Preparatory Academy