Pass It On!

Life is a relay race. The baton of truth must not only be received, it must be relayed. Those who hear God’s Word must then share it with others. This is the model God gave to ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78. The Word moves from our ear, to our heart, to our mouth, to someone else’s ear and heart! We must pass it on.

In Paul’s time, one of the most exciting athletic attractions was the Isthmian Games. This parallel to our Olympic Games consisted of chariot races, boat races, boxing matches with steel-studded gloves, and a host of other events. One of the most popular competitions was the relay race. The runners had to carry a lighted torch and successfully pass it to the next runner off in the distance. This race was the source of a familiar phrase in that culture: “Let him that has the light pass it on.”

If you have received the truth, you have the light. It is time to share it. One danger in concentrating on our marriage and family is becoming self-centered. The “my four and no more” mentality too easily creeps in. It is our privilege and responsibility to pass on the light to our own children and grandchildren, but also to many others whom God allows to cross our paths.

Aquila and Priscilla | Investing in Apollos

For Aquila and Priscilla, this included a man named Apollos. When this discerning couple heard him speak in the synagogue, they realized he had not yet been instructed in the truth Paul had taught them. This humble couple was used by God to help this brilliant orator come to a greater understanding of the gospel.

“And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly” (Acts 18:26). There are plenty of people who want to “straighten the preacher out” but that was not their spirit. Aquila and Priscilla were used by God to simply share what they had been given. Remember that we are all stewards of the truth we have received (1 Corinthians 4:1). Truth must be guarded in our own lives but it must also be given to the next generation. Keep it and pass it on!

Apollos was a mighty preacher who was greatly used by the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:12). Yet much of his effectiveness can be attributed to the influence of Aquila and Priscilla. Imagine the good that could be accomplished for the cause of Christ if every Christian couple felt the responsibility to help others. Most believers will never have the eloquence or education of Apollos, but all of us can be used by God to encourage others.

Your Marriage | Investing in Who?

This is always God’s way. Paul told Timothy to pass on truth“to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Titus 2 demonstrates how the older men in a church are responsible to teach the younger men, and the older women are to teach the younger women. The Apostle John said that he simply took what he had received and passed it on (1 John 1:1-5).

The Christian home is to be a tributary of truth, a channel of blessing, pouring into the lives of others. Have you been blessed? It is so that you can be a blessing. Have you received God’s comfort? Paul wrote that it is that we may“comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:4). Don’t keep it to yourself.

Truth is not just something we hold; it is what we are to hand off to others. Make your own list of Bible lessons that others have taught you through their instruction and example. Determine to pass it on!