“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:11-14 (ESV)
A great friend of mine, Gary Bekker, wrote this comment yesterday to a group of men that I am privileged to be a part of: “The most amazing thing about this inheritance (referencing the inheritance that God offers and gives us in Christ Jesus), is that there are no performance criteria that we need to meet to receive it. Just believe and receive.”
Have you heard the term “generational skip” used? Over the past decades, I have worked for and with a lot of very wealthy people who would plan for the transfer of the wealth they had amassed in a variety of ways through simple inheritance upon their death to complex trusts with a variety of controls assigned to the trust designed to protect the assets of the trust and the purpose of the recipient’s life. Simply put, the inheritance was typically a reward and the trusts were complex and controlling. In a business setting, I often heard this discussed out of concern from the people that I worked with and for, that their sons or daughters would live lives of meaning, purpose and impact. Using what they had inherited, or been entrusted, to make a difference rather than simply live gratuitous lives of self indulgence. Hmm, sound familiar to what the World is selling today?
I recall sitting at a board (often confused with bored) meeting for a company that I was entrusted to lead at the time and during the lead up to the meeting start, listening to the business’s majority owner’s son discussing his first disbursement from a sizeable trust in his name. He was telling that he had just ordered a new 2-seat Mercedes and was discussing all the bells and whistles that he had added to the car. To be clear, this guy was a genuinely nice guy whose father had him jump through a lot of life hoops to arrive at this moment. As he was talking, I remember thinking, ‘your dad never drives anything but a moderate, American-made car. I wonder how he will respond to your purchase?’ After several minutes of telling us all about the car, the father looked up from his work and said “I’ll tell you now, that if I see that car parked in your driveway, it will be the most expensive Mercedes in history because there will not be additional trust disbursements!” Upon hearing this, the son (without missing a beat said, “boys looks like it’s going to be a Buick.” The Trust was revocable.
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24
God assures us through His Son’s death and resurrection that ours is an irrevocable inheritance. So this begs the question, what inheritance understanding are we passing to our children and all those in our path? This is the Prom, elevation and graduation season, moving from preschool to elementary, to middle and high school, college and graduate school and “out into the World.” There is always much fanfare, pomp and celebration for these World assigned benchmarks of importance, and it is important to recognize achievement in meaningful things. The question begs, are we pointing others to the singularly important thing in life? A relationship with Jesus Christ, through the freely given inheritance of eternity?” The Gospel truth.
“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool?” Ecclesiastes 2:17-18 (NIV)
Where are we pointing the next generation? Toward Jesus and the only truth and light that exist in this World today. The only! Having now gone through numerous seasons in my life and headed into yet another season, God has placed upon my heart to empower His next generation. Protect them. Boldly speak out to them of who He says they are and Whose they are. Teach them to be aware of the lies the World will tell them of what is important. Things that very well may take them away from the only truly important aspect of this life of fleeting seconds leading to eternity’s choice. Heaven or Hell. Encourage them to pursue exactly who God has created them to be. His daughters and sons representing Him, executing the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), leading others to relationship with Him…all through the vocation(s) that they are destined to attain and live out as Christ Followers. The only title that and attainment of importance, His daughter or son.
There is real truth in the statement, how we live our lives defines that which is important in our lives. A wonderful pastor friend that has had profound influence on my life asked me one time, “Myron, when you are in a room full of people, do you stand out?” He asked me this in reference to my faith and my actions because they should differentiate me in a business setting. This question haunted me at first and over time became a life mantra I pursue: Lord, in every situation stand out through me. My prayer for each of us is that we will protect the next generation and not skip them. That through our genuine love and time, we will teach them that which is important. A sold out life to Jesus Christ, lived each day with purpose and impact. I life that celebrates the achievements based in relationship with Him. Lives focused on the only ‘next’ that matters; Heaven or Hell.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9 (NLT)
Let’s go. The next generation is waiting.