Passing the Baton

This is for parents. Others are certainly welcome to read it but it is for parents. I have a question for you. I hope you will reflect deeply on this question. Here it is- Are you going to drop the baton? In Track, the relay race is not just about speed. It is about successfully passing the baton to the person that will run the next leg of the race. If it is dropped, the race is lost. There is no recovery. Zilch! It happened in the 2008 Summer Olympics games. The men’s 4x100 relay team dropped the baton as the photo shows. But back to the question -Are you going to drop the baton?
Your role as a parent is to pass on to your children a godly heritage. No, you can not make them take the Christian faith. You can not force them to take the baton of a committed Christian lifestyle. Yet, you can so run and so place it in their hands that grasping it for them is smooth and natural. How so?

You and I can not pass the baton if we are not in top shape spiritually. We have to run our leg of the race. We have to have a goal in mind and we have to go all out to get the baton of truth to our children. It requires focus. You will never see a relay runner looking off in the stands. Their focus is intense. Their resolve is firm. Their purpose is settled- completed their leg of the race and successfully get the baton in the hand of the next runner. To do this requires being in top shape. A jog cannot suffice for what calls for a sprint. Make sure you are doing all that is necessary to stay in top shape spiritually.

Are you still growing? Are you as close to the Lord today as you were in the past? Here is good, no great news- our Lord Jesus gives renewal whenever we repent and confess sin. And, even better news; unlike the 4x100 relay and the dropped baton, with God there is recovery. The race is not lost. Pick it up and by grace begin to run. God will honor any effort you make to pass on the baton of a godly heritage to your children.

Gifts to Start Giving Out

Recently I have heard some very sad stories related to Christmas. Consider the 34-year old Wal-Mart employee that was literally trampled to death as early morning shoppers on Black Friday burst the doors down to get to bargains on big-screen TVs, clothing and other items. In addition, a woman eight months pregnant was also caught in the stampede. Thankfully, neither she nor her unborn child suffered serious injury. It is unimaginable that people would knowingly knock a person down and then step over them as if they were not there to get to be the first to get to a big-screen TV!

And then there is the story of the Maryland woman out stealing her neighbors Christmas decorations. Do you see the tragic point of this? Christmas is about the birth of Christ. It is a time to remember the One that came to die in the place of sinners like you and me. It is a time to give as He gave His all for us. Stealing the decorations of neighbors that celebrate His birth is not only a crime, worse yet it reflects a horrible misunderstanding of the whole meaning of Christmas.

In Parrish, Florida a man was arrested for assaulting his father with a Christmas tree. That’s right- a Christmas tree was used as a weapon as it was thrown. Law enforcement officials said that after he missed with the tree the accused man then tried to use the steel base of the tree as a weapon. Sheriff Deputies indicated that the steel base of the tree weighed about five pounds and could have seriously injured the man’s father.

As tragic and bizarre as these stories seem they remind us of a fundamental problem called sin. Greed, covetousness, and anger were the manifestations of the root of sin in these three separate incidents. Before we judge, let’s examine our hearts. I’m sure if you’re reading this you would not trample over somebody or steal their Christmas decorations or throw your Christmas tree at a family member but you like me must ever guard against greed and covetousness and anger. The season that should bring out the best can bring out the worst. Make sure that you consciously seek to be content with what you have. If you have children at home, there are few lessons you can teach that are more needed than the lesson of learning to be content. Most of the things that we get angry over are so minor in the big scheme of things. Make sure that you do not spoil your Christmas with anger. Confess it and let it go.

Make a difference in the lives of neighbors and strangers you are around this Christmas. Give them two gifts! What? I can not afford to give all of my neighbors and every stranger I see two gifts. Actually, you can. The gifts will really cost you very little and will be priceless to those that receive them. What are they? A smile and a kind word- They will go so far and are so needed. And the good thing is, you don’t even have to go shopping to buy these gifts. Go start giving out your gifts!