Readings for today: Deuteronomy 31-34
It’s not an easy thing to contemplate one’s mortality. It’s not easy to come to the end of a season, the end of a relationship, the end of a career, much less the end of a life. It’s not easy to come to terms with the fact that our lives are just temporary blips on the radar screen of eternity. We are eminently expendable. Completely replaceable. None of us is here forever. Father Time is undefeated. One day, we will all walk out the door of our jobs for the final time and someone else’s name will be on the door. One day, we will all say goodbye to our spouse and loved ones and hand off our work to the next generation. Even the best and most successful runs professionally and personally have an expiration date. It’s why succession planning is so important.
Moses had a succession plan. He knew his time as the leader of the people of Israel was coming to a close. He had accomplished his main task which was to bring them to the Promised Land. For forty years, he had been faithful. For forty years, they had looked to him for guidance and wisdom and to discern the Lord’s will. For forty years, he had led them through success and failure in battle and in their journey in the wilderness. They had seen him perform miracles. They had seen him make hard choices. They had seen his face light up with the glory of God. But now a new generation of leadership was needed. And though Moses’ “eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him”(Deuteronomy 34:7 CSB), it was time for him to pass on the mantle of leadership to another. Thankfully, Moses had been intentional. Joshua had been his right hand man for years. God had been at work preparing Joshua for this moment. And when the time came, Moses was able to pass away in peace, knowing God’s people were in good hands.
Do you have a succession plan? It’s never too early to work on one. It’s never too early to think about who or what comes after you. For your family, succession planning involves a will and power of attorney and advanced healthcare directives. For your job, it means making sure everything you do is written down so it can be passed on to the next person. If you are in leadership, it means identifying and training your potential successor. If you are a pastor, it means making sure the church you lead has a strong and deep leadership base so they won’t miss a beat if you get called on or get called home. Again, none of us is irreplaceable. All of us are expendable on some level. Not because we have no value or worth but simply because our lives are like “sparks that fly upwards.” We are here today and gone tomorrow. Our goal should be to make whatever contribution we can with the gifts and talents and resources we’ve received and then humbly hand the work off to the next one in line.
Readings for tomorrow: Joshua 1-2, Psalms 105