1 Chronicles 22:3
“And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight;”
David’s great desire that he would not be able to accomplish was to build a temple for the LORD. God honored David for this desire, but because he had been a man of war he could not build it. Instead of sulking and wasting his life on himself, he decided to do one of the best things that he could do: prepare for the next generation. David’s thought process was that though he couldn’t do it, he could live the rest of his life preparing so the next generation could do it. He wanted everything to be ready so that when they took over, they could immediately start the project because all the materials were ready.
David’s mindset of preparing for the next generation is a mindset every Christian should have. In essence, everyone is preparing for the next generation; you are either preparing them to live a life of sin, or you are preparing them to live a life of victory through serving the LORD. There are several mindsets you need to have if you are going to prepare properly for the next generation.
First, prepare for the next generation with your works. David lived the rest of his life setting aside for the next generation. It is not sufficient for you to tell the next generation what the LORD has done, but you must have a mindset to show them God’s works through your life. God is still a God of miracles, and the next generation must see that His miracles are for the present. They need to see God’s miracles in your life to create an appetite to have them in their lives.
Second, prepare for the next generation with your decisions. David made decisions based on how they would affect the next generation. Don’t make the tragic mistake of making decisions based on how it affects today, but make every decision based off where the next generation will take that decision. Many things skirt the line of wrong, but they are not wrong. You would be best to make decisions that stay as far away from the line of wrong so that the next generation won’t take your decision into the wrong.
Third, prepare for the next generation with encouragement and vision. David made it clear to Solomon that he was to build the temple. David didn’t discourage Solomon by constantly berating everything he did, but he encouraged his son to take his vision and complete it. You must be careful that you don’t become jealous that the next generation is actually doing something you could never do. Don’t constantly compare the beginning works of the next generation to the whole works of your generation or the past generation. Instead of being a thorn in their side, be an encourager who cheers them as they pursue the great vision God has for their lives.
Friend, you will never be able to fulfill your whole vision, so live your life imparting a vision to the next generation to complete. Great people will serve their generation and the next one. If you live encouraging the next generation and giving them a vision, you will have a great part in them finishing the work of your vision.