Our Inheritance

Our Inheritance

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Ephesians 1:18

A friend and I were discussing frugal living, and she spoke of an elderly family member who’d stored away bags of gold and bank accounts of treasure by living on less. My friend’s point was that we’d save a lot if we didn’t spend as much, but I also began to think of my inheritance. In my garage I have a box of my grandfather’s things—his cowboy boots, his plaid shirts, and some of his Western-style jackets. There are no gold coins, no stacks of bills, but those things are treasures to me!

I imagine that when an Amish family has an average of seven kids and lives a “plain” lifestyle, there isn’t much earthly treasure to pass on—no gold, silver, or bank accounts. Yet when a family passes on Jesus and a community of fellow believers—holy people God has put into our lives—that becomes a much more beautiful inheritance. It’s not the whats that make us rich but the whos, those we can look forward to being with for eternity.

This passage from Acts 3:6 speaks of true treasure: “Peter said, ‘I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!’” Peter didn’t pass on gold. He passed on faith. As I consider my inheritance, I’m thankful for my grandfather’s cowboy boots, but I’m also thankful for the memories I have of him sitting at the table, drinking his coffee and reading his Bible. We should never be frugal about sharing that our true treasure lies in our faith in God!

Dear heavenly Father, I am overwhelmed with Your inheritance. Thank You for the gift of salvation, and thank You for the godly men and women around the world. Help me to connect at deeper levels with these people of faith and to pass on this heritage to the next generation.