Inheritance

Good Monday Morning! 

I hope you enjoyed your weekend!

While listening to a talk about inheritance, I was moved to contemplate how complicated the world is and how we sometimes neglect to look at the overarching scope and meaning. Often our minds go to the things we might receive upon the death of a loved one. Sometimes our inheritance is given sooner than that so that the giver can witness the receiver’s joy. But, inheritance is more than stuff.

Theodore L. Cuyler graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1846. He was a Presbyterian leader, and some of the most notable influencers of the time were among people he considered friends. Cuyler’s circle of confidants include names like Charles Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, Joseph Parker, Charles Finney, President Benjamin Harrison, Vice-President Henry Wilson, and Prime Minister William Gladstone. Cuyler shared the following thoughts:

Daily, we model values, virtues, and healthy living to our children and others who watch to learn what behaviors and mindsets shape the way we experience life. We have the honor and responsibility of influencing in a way that affects not only those currently in our lives but future generations. And this isn’t just our biological or adopted children; it’s equally true for anyone with whom we interact.

Consider how we show up when we’re angry or frustrated, when we’re sad or grieving, and when we’re exhausted and need rest. To take it a step further, our presence when we work, counsel, or even interact with the grocery store’s cashier. If we’re health care professionals, do our hearts match our words, and do our words reflect authenticity in our actions.

Ephesians has been described as the Joshua of the New Testament. This book is rich with guidance and filled with direction for responsible living. In Chapter 1 verses 3-5, we read:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (NKJV)

We are positioned as heirs with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and He deemed us accepted in the Beloved. That means we have access to everything heaven has and, as His children, can ask whatever we need in the way of assistance. In verse 11, we learn:

“In Him also we have received an inheritance [a destiny—we were claimed by God as His own], having been predestined (chosen, appointed beforehand) according to the purpose of Him who works everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His will…” (AMP)

I believe one of our tasks, particularly during this time of uncertainty, is to be conscious that, as heirs ourselves, we have the obligation and privilege to represent our inheritance in ways that influence future generations. As parents, helpers, and friends, we have an opportunity to model truth and safety and assist others in exploring their truths, helping them heal, rewrite their stories, and be fruitful in the next season. Imagine what the world would look like if parents healed from their anxieties and traumas to leave a legacy of kindness and mindful living to their future generations as an inheritance!

Have a wonderful week! Remember to appreciate your inheritance. Purpose to leave your own legacy of tolerance, inclusion, love, and peace. My guess is that the blessings you bestow will come back to you ten-fold.

Be Well & Be Blessed!

Lucinda