Skip to main content

Spiritual Inheritance

Have you ever thought about how much you will leave as an inheritance? I've thought a lot about saving money for my later years and I regularly hear from people who are concerned about how much or how little they will be able to pass on and sometimes those who feel the pressure of wisely handling the inheritance they know will be passed down to them. Today, as I read Exodus 20 I was struck by the inclusion of a spiritual inheritance within the famous passage of the Ten Commandments. Those who hate God pass on a curse while those who love and obey pass on a blessing.

How often do I really think about spiritual inheritance?

This is a weighty and complex thing to consider but I want to focus on the generosity aspect. Most of the time, I think about my faith as a personal relationship and the application of blessing is usually in reference to my current circumstances. Yet I also know that I cannot separate my personal call from the corporate call as one of His people. This means that my walk with Jesus has an impact on the generations that come after me. Not only is this true for my immediate family, but for my household of faith as well.

What is also noteworthy is that while the curse is passed down for a few generations, the blessing covers thousands of generations! One person who loves God through following His instructions can change the direction of a household far greater than someone who hates God through disobedience. Understanding this gives a weight to my steps and a purpose to my righteous relationship that is far greater than my individual, immediate circumstances.

To obey the first commandment is to live a life of generosity as I build a spiritual inheritance for the generations that will follow me. I may not be able to stash away millions or leave stock options or homes, but I can store up treasures in the Kingdom that will be poured out of God's storehouses for generations to come.

I have to add, I am so thankful for the blessing that has been poured out on my spiritual life from all those who came before me and invested so heavily into my future. God, strengthen my obedience that I may leave the coming generations with a spiritual inheritance of abundant blessing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All In Good Time

Where does my help come from...and when will it get here?! I have a fairly predictable struggle in my faith walk when it comes down to the timing I would prefer versus the timing of God. Mostly this revolves around my own comfort and desires but there have been occasions when God's timing has cause me deep pain and sadness. Still, I trust Him. In the those times of real struggle I place my hope in what Jesus has already accomplished, and then cast my gaze to what the Bible reveals of the final victory. The greatest resource for my peace is not found in a distraction or a pleasant feeling but in the reality of Christ's death and resurrection. Knowing God was able to bring about the salvation of all in that way, I renew my faith in that great and glorious day yet to come. Sure, my anticipation grows with every look ahead but my temporal peace also increases even in the midst of calamity. Still, I trust Him. This statement is not a mantra or religious chat I use to calm myself i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Where does my help come from?

I have to stop to think about that. This past Sunday, Lumumba proclaimed Psalm 121 in the midst of a world in pain and a population trying to process all that has happened. On top of a pandemic, demonstrations of all kinds have erupted all over the world as the evil of racism overtook our collective focus. Where does my help come from? The psalmist admitted he had to lift his eyes to receive the answer. I can look in the mirror to review my own behavior and thoughts but for the people of God, there is no real hope without the involvement of Jesus. He is not only the author of our faith, He is the maker of Heaven and Earth! He has a depth of understanding as to what is wrong in this world that makes my attempt at contemplation seem like a newborn trying to fathom the complexity of the universe.  I keep hearing people preach about the importance of looking "deep within ourselves" and "tap into your basic human morality" but that is not what the Bible w...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Simple Invitation to Prayer

"What has helped me?" Our commitment as a church is to advance the Gospel as a Kingdom family. As we drill down on advancing through small steps and simple invitations, Lumumba was preaching out of Revelation and asked the question, "What has helped me in sharing the word of my testimony?" I was particularly caught by his first point of prayer. Jesus taught us to pray. Prayer is unique to humankind and a primary indicator of the faithfulness of God's people. God hears every prayer. It is transformational, impactful, good for the soul, empowered by the Spirit, and necessary for our intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe. Yet we often treat it as a daily chore. When prayer becomes an after thought for me I begin to forget who I am in Christ, that I have been called and sent by God, and what I have been sent to do. When my prayer life is weak it becomes a laundry list of what I hope God will do for me instead of remembering who He is and lis...
Post a Comment
Read more