Sadly, a lot of youth today are abandoning tradition and their responsibility to honor family ethics, principles, morals, cultures, and honest generational legacies. If many deceased people could see what this kind of offspring does with generous inheritances, they would go back and change their last wills and testaments.
Jabez asked God, “Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me” (1 Chronicles 4:10). Strengthening the family business is a natural and biblical result for those who work for generations to expand a business, planning for a lifetime, thinking of those who come after them.
Part of building an inheritance is serious financial planning mixed with years of strenuous labor. It is not considered wise in the Bible to start construction and go broke before a task is completed. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28). Saving money for future needs is an obvious and wise biblical process. Unlike modern financial planning, the Bible doesn’t mention developing credit, credit cards or the ability to borrow for a building or getaway holiday.
It is a brutal world out there. Forsaking years of family experience and targeted knowledge in a specific business can be a difficult—and risky—life choice. Starting a different business without the family’s collateral and backing can be a lengthy process that’s not always profitable. It’s often disastrous.
The Lord Jesus gave a relevant parable (Luke 15: 11-32): A young son was tired of working with livestock and expanding the “coasts” of his family. He wanted his inheritance up front, now, not later. But to his chagrin, his father lived on, not departing or releasing the family inheritance.
This family ranch was big. It required work from hired servants and every family member. The younger son, however, refused to help, even though in time half of the ranch could be his. His parents and perhaps their parents had dedicated lifetimes to create a safe, profitable food-producing business. It was certainly profitable (its many servants would not work unless paid regularly). Despite this rich history and promising future, the young son nevertheless demanded his part of the family assets in advance. Soon, with cash-filled pockets, this “prodigal son” fled the ranch. (You don’t need Paul Harvey for “The Rest of the Story.” It’s all in Luke 15.)
Young people by definition have limited juvenescent exposure and perspectives. At home, they enjoy strong family protection and advice. On their own in the real world, they will not immediately enjoy a nice house, new car, tools, a mother to cook for them and wash their nasty clothes. They have little—often no—experience with taxes, employers or employees, bankers, hospital costs, etc. Having been lovingly cared for their whole lives, they may be surprised to find little or no benevolence outside the family, among strangers. Alone in the real world, they are likely instead to confront vicious competition and treacherous pitfalls.
The Bible commands children to "Honour thy father and thy mother," which means respecting them, obeying their authority, and caring for them (Exodus 20:12). This is one of the Ten Commandments. It is also the first with a promise, that by honoring parents, "thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." This assurance applies to all ages and eras.
The prodigal son in Luke forsook his family, the ranch, the skills he had developed there, and a sense of honor and responsibility. Here are some lessons he learned the hard way:
- Starting a new business with good business savvy is harder than he expected.
- He was untrained for different, difficult work. Proficiency takes time.
- The costs of entertainment and “fun-habits” suck-up a lot of money, fast.
- His family had to work harder to continue the business without him.
- He didn’t care about God’s blessing.
- He had little or no honor for his parents.
In sum, he walked away from his family’s wisdom, respect, culture, legacy, and dignity—all treasures hard-earned by previous generations.
Today, more than ever, it is hard for young people to buy a home, attend college, afford children, or start a new business. Others want those same “coasts” or benefits and are willing to compete brutally, often unethically, with all newcomers. Therefore, an important consideration for self-preservation and prosperity is always to safely build on family legacy, always to keep enlarging the historic turf.
"There is no success without a successor." ~Abel Wale, Nigeria, Africa
Of course, parents do not demand reparations for child-rearing, but it is every child’s responsibility to honor them with the same kindness and benevolence that they have themselves received—or more.
A famous heir, John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, wisely said, “The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust.”
Comment: In my dealings with thousands of people and various family settings/makeups that the second, third, and further generations rarely treat the benefits of the hard labor and sacrifice of the first generation with the same respect. The first generation of a family business or financial blessing knows exactly what it took to build or save up. They know the hours, sweat, and heartache because they did it. My personal fear is that we live in a country that no longer respects the sacrifices and hard labor of those before us (this is dangerous on many fronts). We often don't pass along the work ethic that was required to gain the blessings that we pass on to the next generation. Jeremiah wrote in Lamentations, 3:27 "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth." Meaning, it is good for every young person to learn, and spend time working hard. I do believe it is biblical and important for us to be good stewards and lay up some blessings for the next generation of our families but we do them a major disservice when we don't allow them to feel some of the burdens that life in general causes.
~Josh Dixon
