The Greatest Inheritance

Mike Hosey, an Elder

The 17^th century French moralist and writer, François de La Rochefoucauld, once noted that everyone despises wealth, but few know how to give it away. Of course, his tongue was firmly in his cheek. What Frank really noticed was that everyone really loves wealth so much that they cannot bear to give it away. The reason that people love it so much that they want to horde it is that it brings power, ability, pleasure, ease and a host of nice things. It helps people thrive. We put a lot of stock in material wealth. America, for the most part, idolizes wealth. Wealth is a considerable part of the “American Dream.” And while wealth is not in and of itself evil, we should never value it more than those things that have, well, greater value.

The Bible teaches us that a good man leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren (Proverbs 13:22a). In other words, a good man builds up enough wealth that even the children of his children benefit from it. And while the bible is, indeed, talking about material wealth in that verse, it would be silly to think it means just material wealth. After all, a few chapters earlier (Proverbs 11:28), we are taught that those who trust in material wealth will be disappointed, but that those who are righteous will thrive.

The point is that wealth causes things to thrive, and that greater wealth is superior to lesser wealth. So what is the best inheritance a father can leave to his children's children? True righteousness is (Proverbs 11:28)! It is far greater than material wealth. Where does it come from? It comes from the transformative word of God! The bible tells us that those who obey that word are blessed (Luke 11:28), and that in our dark world it is a lamp unto one's feet (Psalm 119:105). But if material wealth is power, then so is spiritual wealth. 2 Timothy 3:16 says that the word of God is profitable for training in righteousness. Hebrews 14:22 describes it as a kind of wisdom sword that is sharper than any earthly sword. And Jeremiah the prophet (Jeremiah 15:16) found that when he internalized the words of God, he experienced joy. Spiritual wealth brings us so much more than material wealth. Interestingly, if we have real spiritual wealth, we're likely to get some material things as well (Matthew 6:25-33).

But unlike material wealth, no one who has experienced true spiritual wealth ever hordes it. They give it away in shiploads. Because they know the more they give away, the more they get. And to see their children's children impacting the world with such great power is truly great wealth.