We’ve all heard the old adage “whoever dies with the most toys wins”. While we know it isn’t true, we still like the idea of accumulating things that will build our reputation. We want to be remembered when we die. I don’t think anyone ever looks at their life and says “I would like to die obscure and alone”. We want to be remembered for something.
As I get a little older, this becomes more and more true for me. As I’ve mentioned before, this isn’t where I would have pictured myself at this stage of my life. I had plans. I had dreams. Some of them I’ve been able to realize, others, not so much. One of the things that social media has brought to light is the great life I’ve had. I’ve been able to keep in touch with some great friends over the years who remind me of that. When I look back on the things that I’ve been able to experience in life, I’m amazed sometimes that I’ve survived this long. I started driving when I was 13, getting behind the wheel of an older friends Gremlin. I have survived the pain of my father passing away. I’ve had a great marriage, but have also experienced some bumps along the way. We have 2 great children. And another child as well. Just kidding. All three of my daughters are great girls who have grown into wonderful women. I have 5 grandchildren, with number 6 on the way as I write this. I have a nice home, get to drive a Jeep and make a comfortable living.
I think that all of us can look back at our lives and see some great experiences. Even some not so great ones that we have learned valuable lessons from. So what happens to this valuable knowledge when we die? Who benefits from it? What will we be remembered for, and who will be the ones who remember us? I remember sitting down with my grandmother just months before she died. She recounted all of my fathers antics as he was growing up. It was great just to hear stories of my father when he was younger. To learn a little more about his life. Things that he would have never shared with me because they didn’t set the proper example for his son!
And then there are those who are younger than we are. Or maybe just not as experienced in certain areas of life as we are. I heard Andy Stanley say recently that you have no idea how much you know about finances until you sit down with a 22-year-old and go over their checking account. How true. Could your experiences, even the bad ones – especially the bad ones – be helpful to someone else?
If I look for examples of this, I could look to Paul and Timothy in the Bible. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:2, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” In other words, both mentor and be mentored. Learn from those who have more experience than you. It doesn’t mean that you make the same mistakes, or copy their behavior. It means listen to how they handled their life and learn from their experience. Then pass how you used that experience on to others.
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he addresses him as “my true son in the faith.” (1 Timothy 1:2) We first hear of Timothy in Acts 16 when Paul is leaving for his second missionary journey. He stops in Lystra to pick up Timothy who accompanies him on the journey. While with Paul, Timothy watches Paul to see how he handles life. Paul becomes a spiritual father to Timothy. Timothy becomes sort of an apprentice to Paul. Paul wasn’t just Timothy’s “leader”. He nurtured him into spiritual adulthood. We need to adopt a sense of parenting when we mentor, not superiority.
In 2 Timothy 3:10, Paul again addresses Timothy – “you know what I teach, and how I live, and what my purpose in life is. You know my faith, my patience, my love, and my endurance…” Paul challenges Timothy to learn by emulating his lifestyle. Paul wasn’t a slacker. He worked hard, and faced challenges and difficulties often. Here, he tells Timothy to learn how to live life by watching him. Paul had found his purpose in life, and was instructing young Timothy to not only learn how to approach life, but how to live life. Paul’s first sentence addresses not only what he teaches, but how he lives. We should also not just pass along information when mentoring, but pass along pieces of our lives. We should be the examples of not only mature Christianity, but an example of how to live life.
Finally, in the book of Romans, Paul makes mention of Timothy again. Only this time, he is not addressed as his son. Romans 16:21 ~ “Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings.” Timothy has progressed from being a son, to a student and apprentice to being a fellow worker. We don’t just invest time in others to make them more knowledgeable. We want them to be productive and, ultimately, to invest themselves in others the same way we have in them. Timothy is now addressed as Pauls equal. And that’s the goal. We can pray for more laborers as the Bible instructs, but we can also help create more laborers.
I am where I am today because of others who have poured a little of themselves into me. They weren’t content to just be my friend or my “boss”. Their goal was to make me a better person, not just to make themselves look good. I am now passing my life onto others. I challenge you to do the same. Use both your victories and defeats in life to make a difference in someone else’s life. Don’t just die with the most toys. The real winners are those who live on through the lives of others.