In 2 Timothy 2:2, the Apostle Paul instructs his protégé Timothy: "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."  These words set forth an effective plan for spreading the Gospel and investing meaningfully in the lives of others.  For this devotional, our focus is on the word "commit to."  It means "to entrust, to commit to one's charge."  A helpful picture of this action is the relay race where the one currently carrying the baton commits that baton to someone else who is reliable, who will, in turn, be able to hand it on to someone else.  
As I was studying this text afresh recently, I came across a resource that explained reasons that professionals have identified for what they call "baton drops."  What goes wrong that causes a costly baton drop.  I was amazed to find principles that can carry over in our discipleship efforts to pass our faith on to those around us and future generations.  Here they are:

You may be happy to learn that I have the same church attendance trends in my church that you have in yours.  I have a handful of people who attend every week (and two of us are paid to be there).  I have Chreaster Christians - those who attend Christmas and Easter.  I have everyone in between.  On average, it is safe to say that my people attend a couple of times a month.  When I mentioned this to my Assistant Pastor, who joined our team a few months ago, he helped me learn that this is a nationwide trend.  It didn't use to be the case, when I was a child.  To be sure, there are cultural trends that have driven much of this, but it feels like there is more.  To show my cards a little bit up front, I sense that we need a fresh look at our theology of corporate worship.  So as I go through answering this question which headlines this blog, I hope to do so in a way that gets us thinking about the bigger picture.

Gaining God’s approval has concerned people since the beginning.  Genesis Chapter 4 tells the story of the jealousy that arose within Cain’s heart, when God had respect for his brother Abel’s offering but not his own offering.  This jealousy drove Cain to commit the first and probably best-known murder.
The first step toward meeting with God’s approval in this life and the next is to accept Christ as your personal Savior.  The question above begins “as a believer,” which assumes that you have already trusted Christ.  Scripture is very clear that “no one comes unto the Father but by [Christ]” (John 14:6).  It is through God’s saving grace and the redemption we have through the blood of Jesus that “He has made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).  As a believer, it’s not like you would meet with God’s disapproval in the next life.  Your eternity is secure.  There is no such place as purgatory.  God doesn’t love you less when you sin (Romans 5:8).  
Having trusted the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross for payment for your sin, you may still wonder whether God will approve of your life.  Here are some insights from the Bible to guide your thoughts on this.​