1 Kings 1:20 (NKJV)
“And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.”

One of the most beautiful things a person can do is to leave a stable situation behind them after they leave a position. It is a great honor to leave a clear system behind you when you move out of it.

One way to measure a successful transition is to assess stability after the transition. If, after you leave, chaos takes over behind you, then you failed in your task in that place, because peace after you go is the most important gift you can give your people.

Therefore, regardless of what you are doing in your current location, consider your departure. You may not consider yourself important, but that is not true. There’s nobody in God’s kingdom who is unimportant.

You are important where you are. You are important in what you are doing. But most importantly, you need to prepare someone or some people to do what you are doing presently. Make that an important thing you prepare for, right from now.

Unfortunately, David had not made clear plans for his succession, which opened the door to chaos. Although he knew who would succeed him and he had even mentioned it to Bathsheba, he had not made concrete plans to implement it. It was still too vague.

Planning for your successor is not wishing yourself evil. Looking around and thinking of who would replace you is strategic thinking. Planning for your replacement is one of the most important things you can do to maintain stability when you are no longer around.

Again, someone may think that this does not affect them, but please don’t think this way. Even if you are a cleaner in an office, your role is vital to the welfare of the company. You matter! Make your transition smooth.

Before you leave, make it easy for the next person to take over without strife. Bathsheba basically said to David, “If you don’t handle this thing well, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, then my son Solomon and I will be counted as offenders.”

Don’t make the person taking over from you struggle. Do all you can to ensure that your successor takes over in peace and prosperity. You do not control all the equations, and you may not be able to guarantee all factors, but do your best.

That was all Bathsheba was asking for. That’s all our generation is asking of you. Do your part to prepare for a smooth handover. And then leave the rest with God.

@ChineduOranye
RestlessPilgrim.org