TEXT:2Kings 13:20-21,1Corinthians 4:7,2 Timothy 2:2
Having received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing, Prophet Elisha performed outstanding miracles right from the moment his master was taken up until his death. Despite the heavy anointing that sat on this man of God during his lifetime, seemingly no one even the sons of the prophets caught it from him. Long after he was buried, a man being taken for burial was thrown in haste in fear of Moabite raiders and accidentally fell on his tomb. The man immediately came back to life upon touching the anointed bones of Elisha. How dramatic! Even though he was long dead, the anointing of God was still at work in his bones. Sadly, he died without passing the mantle that was upon him to anyone. Unlike his master Elijah who with God’s instruction anointed Hazael and Jehu as Kings of Aram and Israel respectively and Elisha in his place,(1Kings 19:15-16) Elisha died with the anointing he had received.
You are only but a steward of the grace you carry. The level of anointing that you move in is just but a gift from God.(1 Corinthians 4:17) In the course of your lifetime therefore, endeavor to allow others to partake in that which you have received so that when you are no more the purposes of God will continue to prevail. Concerning the gifts of God in you, do not behave as a dam that just holds water without an outlet. Be a river that flows touching the lives of others and imparting the grace of God in your life on them . Refuse to be a champion for a lifetime yet when you exit this world there will be no one who tapped into your grace that can carry on with the good work. Mentor your children, employees, or whoever you discern God has brought your way and pour your what you have received from God into their lives.
When you are still alive, make sure you transfer that worship mantle to another, let that prayer grace rub on to another, teach and mentor leaders that will lead even in a better way in your absence or train other hands to do business as you do. Intentionally bring up a right hand man that even in your absence your presence wont be felt because they will perfectly fit the role. Don’t let the mantle you carry die with you. Don’t cripple your ministry because there is no one to take up the baton from you. Be a carrier of grace and having the brevity of life in mind introduce and grow others into what God has entrusted you with. Let what you carry be a generational mantle that will impact lives even long after you are gone.
Our God is a generational God(Genesis 17:7) and so are His purposes. As a kingdom steward therefore, as much as it is in your power and by the grace of God do not allow the heavenly investment in you be only temporal. Faithfully keep doing business with your talent by investing it in the lives of other faithful ones until He comes. (2 Timothy 2:2) Refuse to be a proud servant because what you have has been freely given to you. With such understanding then, be humble and freely give it. (Matthew 10:8).This is a sure way to ensure posterity in the gift God has bestowed upon you.
Eventually, when your time to go home comes, the good work that God begun in you will no doubt continue for generations until the master returns; but you have to intentionally pass the baton while you are still here!