“When we approach the subject of leaving our children a spiritual inheritance, we should be asking ourselves a series of diagnostic questions. These are only a few of the questions that we should be asking ourselves as we evaluate what sort of inheritance we are preparing for our children.”

When I was a teenager, I had a conversation with my mom about parents leaving their children an inheritance. At some point in that conversation, my mom said, “Nick, there are different kinds of inheritances that parents can leave their children. Most limit their understanding of an inheritance to the financial realm, while the Scriptures predominantly emphasize the importance of leaving your descendants a spiritual inheritance. The latter is far more important than the former.” I not only agree with what my mom (who is now with Christ) told me then, I recognize that she left my sister and me such an inheritance.

In a day when multitudes are enthusiastically committing themselves to Christian financial management principles, it would serve us well to consider what sort of inheritance we are storing up for our children. We should be considering what example we are leaving behind for our children to follow. The life of Abraham serves as a model in this regard. Abraham picked up all that he had; and, at the promise of God, left all and followed the God of promise to a place he did not know (Heb. 11:8). Abraham walked by faith with his sons in the land of promise–as a pilgrim and foreigner–hoping in a heavenly city (Heb. 11:9-10). While the Scriptures take note of the fact that Abraham was fairly financially prosperous, it does not highlight that as the better part of the inheritance that he left behind. Abraham left a spiritual inheritance to all those who would become his offspring by virtue of having the same faith in Christ as he himself had (John 8:58; Rom. 4:13; Gal. 3:9). Scripture highlights the fact that the true riches are the spiritual riches of God’s grace (Luke 12:21; James 2:5).

When we approach the subject of leaving our children a spiritual inheritance, we should be asking ourselves a series of diagnostic questions. These are only a few of the questions that we should be asking ourselves as we evaluate what sort of inheritance we are preparing for our children:

1. Do I model for my children what it is to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Savior of sinners? Does my life reflect that I am broken over my sin and relying on the blood and righteousness of Christ alone for my salvation?
2. Does my life reflect the fact that I am humbly submitting myself to the word of God? Do I have an evident devotional commitment to the Lord through a daily and diligent study and meditation of His word and in prayer?
3. Is Lord’s Day worship the most important part of my week? Does my commitment to being in corporate worship with the people of God reflect that it is the highest joy and delight of my soul?

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