On arrival at Cairo International Airport last November, we were received by Sylvia. She is the daughter of a wonderful Egyptian Christian couple who frequent Nigeria for the annual International Pastors Conference at Uyo. We conversed freely in English and that raised my curiosity. “How are you so fluent in English?” I probed. “Well, I guess my mother passed that to me”, she replied. Her mother had been to England to study for a Master’s degree and is familiar with English in addition to her native Arabic.

Leaders who pass acceptable values to others are helping to build the future and promote continuity.

Whether they accept it or not, parents are constantly passing values over to their children and wards. The question is what sort of values are they passing down? Are they values that will build coming generations or destroy them? A rule of thumb for parents is this: Don’t ever do what you will not like to see your children replicate. Children learn not only by instruction but by observation. Beyond parents, leaders in any sphere are also communicating values. Those who are called to lead must be intentional in what they do. This was the essence of Paul’s instruction to Timothy. He wanted his protégé to pass to others what he had learned. Leaders who pass acceptable values to others are helping to build the future and promote continuity.