Writing the next chapter

"Whether we want it or not, we are writing the next chapter. What we do now or fail to do affects those coming after us."

I made these statements from my book, "Beyond Finishing Well" (2011).

Can we presume to write the next chapter? We don't even know what tomorrow holds. Yes, we can. I pointed to two kings and the contrast between them. King David, when told by the prophet Nathan that he could not build the Temple for the LORD, went ahead to prepare materials and manpower for his son Solomon to do it. (2 Chronicles 28:11-21)

By contrast, King Hezekiah, when told by the prophet Isaiah that his kingdom would be invaded by the Babylonians and his descendants taken into captivity, responded:

"The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," Hezekiah replied. For he thought, "There will be peace and security in my lifetime." (Isaiah‬ ‭39:8‬)

No wonder, after the otherwise good reign of Hezekiah, his son and successor Manasseh turned out to be the longest-serving and most evil of all kings. (2 Chronicles 33:9)

We are held responsible by the Lord to pass on our faith and leadership to the next generation. If we are content to let our faith and our work die with us, we are short-sighted indeed. Finishing well goes beyond us.

We are writing the next chapter now. The older generation needs to trust the younger to pass the work to them. Likewise, the younger generation needs to win the trust of the older, and rise up to the challenge.

As a good friend of mine once told me, "I work as if I'm staying; I plan as if I'm leaving." He went home to the Lord at the prime of his life but he had by then already written his next chapter.