[Notice: This month’s devotionals are some favourites from the past few years – and also previews of my upcoming book: “Up! – 313 Devotionals To Help You Start Your Day In A Biblical, Relevant Way.” Enjoy!]

You and I are standing on the shoulders of giants.

People before us have spent time and energy on us, set an example, taught us, and prayed for us.

Not all of them have been perfect, of course. But some of them have most likely been spiritual giants who have somehow sought the best for us.

One of the places we see this at work in the Bible is when the apostle Paul mentioned the “sincere faith” of his young co-worker Timothy. It’s a faith “which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice” (1 Timothy 1:5). It’s something they nurtured in him. We don’t know much about Lois and Eunice, but Timothy is certainly standing on their shoulders!

But when we think about this idea of standing on people’s shoulders, here’s what we often miss.

If you are standing on the shoulders of giants, future giants are also standing on yours!

Friends, children, nieces, nephews, co-workers, classmates and more, are currently being impacted by you. You may not always see the result. But it’s happening. Year after year.

You have the potential to be a spiritual giant in someone else’s life!

You don’t need to have all the answers or have a perfect track record. (None of us do.) Just try to grow the sincerity of your faith and invest your time, energy and prayer into those God has placed in your life on a daily basis. In fact, that’s how Tim Kimmel, co-founded of Family Matters, defines success: “the conscientious stewarding of future generations.”

God grows what you sow into the next generation.

You are standing on the shoulders of giants. And future giants are standing on yours.

By Matthew Ruttan