What is a life worth living?

Rachel Billups

You don’t want to waste this one life that you’ve been given.

But here’s the challenge, you wake up in the morning and wonder how, how will I ever live into my purpose?  How can I know I’m actually living a life worth living?

“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16 NIV).

Life has never been only about you, friend.

It’s about us – together.

A life worth living is one shared with others.

There’s a lot we can learn about living and working together from a baton relay race. The blind hand-off in a baton relay race is critical. Pace, timing, trust…the way you pass the baton could cost you the race. And it’s a race we’re all running…

CARRY THE BATON WITH INTENTION

The apostle Paul said it this way, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV).

Not that Paul nor any other leader for that matter was extra special, but as Paul was following Jesus, he wanted those Jesus followers in Corinth to do the same.

How are you leading yourself these days?

Part of self-leadership is inviting a mentor into your life.  A mentor is a person who is just a bit further in their Jesus journey than you, helping guide your path.

One of my mentors is Pastor Jorge Acevado.

On the regular, Jorge sends me notes of encouragement and excerpts from his daily bible reading and reflection.  Jorge is in recovery, from drug and alcohol yes, but also from what he calls solo hero leadership, this false understanding of leadership that you can do it ALL on your own.

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many” (1 Corinthians 12: 12-14 NIV).

We need each other to live a life worth living. Who is in your life to intentionally encourage you, teach you and build you up?

PASS THE BATON WITH GENEROSITY

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11: 25 NIV).

In 2 Kings chapter 2, Elijah (mentor) literally asked Elisha (mentee), “what would you like from me?”.  Elisha asked for, “a double portion” of Elijah’s anointing. That’s Old Testament language for the inheritance of a son.  And not just any son, but the eldest son in a family.  Elisha was asking his mentor to treat him like a spiritual son.

Elisha received that double anointing.

In fact, there are 7 recorded miracles of Elijah working on behalf of God, but 14 of Elisha.

Elisha received the cloak of Elijah, a sign or symbol of his authority and power.  Sometimes we call this passing of spiritual gifts “impartation” in the church–One person passing the baton with generosity to the next.

Have you ever experienced this kind of generosity?

In 2017, Mike Slaughter (mentor) asked me (mentee) to run a 5k race with him.

As we ran, Mike spent the entire race talking about the blessing of Ginghamsburg Church–all that started as a little country church on COUNTY ROAD 25A and had turned into a space and place of widespread Kingdom influence.

Mike said, “Rachel, I don’t know the how, but I know the who.”  Meaning it was God at work.

With nearly a half a mile to go, Mike said, “give me your hand”.

I was confused.  I thought Mike wanted to do something corny like hold hands over the finish line.

I said, “Mike we’ve got a ways to go.”

“Just give me your hand Rachel,” he demanded.

So I did, and that’s when Mike prayed a double anointing prayer over me.

He didn’t have to, but he asked God to give to me a double of what he had received.

I was shocked and in tears.  This was a generous prayer.  One that I did not ask for, and didn’t feel like I deserved, but I received it that day with grace and love.

With God’s help you and I can generously pass our batons to a new generation of people.

But this means one day, we’ll have to let go, too…

LET GO OF THE BATON WITH TRUST

When a runner makes contact with the next runner, they must trust their teammate.  There’s moment when they just have to let go and trust that their teammate has the baton firmly in their hands.

Friends when we’ve poured our lives into a job, a career, a project, a relationship, a child, a ministry, it’s hard for us to let go and trust the next.

We each have a baton to carry, a part to play, and must all work together to ensure that runners keep on racing, the baton is passed, the mission moves forward!

God is a generous God.  God doesn’t hold back, particularly when needs are so great.  You don’t have to be the most gifted, you don’t have to have clocked the most miracles, you don’t have to have a stacked resume–God wants to anoint you, my friend.

Lord Jesus, for anyone who asks, I pray you pour out a double anointing of your spirit today. Remind us that our identity is firmly rooted in you, that this journey is a baton-passing life. Reaching forward while keenly aware of those who’s race has made ours possible.  Amen. 

Listen to the full message:

Rachel Billups
Senior Pastor | Ginghamsburg Church
rbillups@ginghamsburg.org