“In my book, success is succession.”

A thought by Mark Batterson, Richard Foth, and Susanna Foth Aughtmon (2015-04-28) from their book, A Trip around the Sun: Turning Your Everyday Life into the Adventure of a Lifetime (p. 154). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

Mark right before this thought says, “I thank God for memory. Without it, we’d have to relearn everything, every day. It’s our ability to remember the past that enables us to imagine the future. And that’s the point of remembering His faithfulness, isn’t it? It fuels our future tense faith.” And then he says, “In my book, success is succession.”

He then continues, “If your influence ends with you, it wasn’t worth your time and effort. Your life is a dead end. But if you influence the next generation, you won’t just enter eternity when you die. You will live on in the lives of those you leave behind. That’s what spiritual fathering and mothering is all about— leaving a legacy of wisdom that is inherited by the next generation.”

We build memories every single day. Now some of them will be negative but hopefully most of them will be positive. But no matter what they are they will influence someone around you, especially your family.

Do you realize that your kids had no choice as to who their dad or mom is? They came into this world because of you and of course God also had a hand in it. How you react to life every day will influence the way your kids will react to life. God has given those kids to you to take care of, to nurture, to train, to show them what love is and to introduce them to God. How are you doing?

I am now a grandparent and I too still have the task of influencing another generation. Am I grumpy all the time? Am I always discouraged and despondent? Do I live with hope? Am I kind? Do they want to be around me? Am I fun? Do they know they are special and that they are loved? Do I strive to be with them? Do I show them how God has made a difference and is still making a difference in my life?

Influence. It is not something that you retire from.

Maybe you don’t have any kids around you. But there are kids and people out there who need what you have to give if you are following Christ’s way of loving and living. God has given his love to you so you can love others. It doesn’t end with you. Success is succession. Let’s continue what He started?

So how is your influence going?

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