Northwestern Mutual’s 2025 Planning & Progress Study of more than 4,600 adults found that 31 percent of Americans planned on leaving an inheritance for their family or a charitable organization.
What should we make of this statistic? Should the number be higher? How might a Christian think about leaving an inheritance?
1. Think Eternally
Proverbs tells us,
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22 ESV)
That seems pretty simple, right? A good man leaves something for his children, while a lazy or wicked person’s property is seized by a landowner or ruler. But does this mean that we should leave everything to our children when we die?
Not necessarily.
Biblical calls to leave an inheritance were during a time when a family could not continue to prosper if assets were not handed down. Most legacies were in property and livestock. This is why we typically see the firstborn son getting a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17) because he was responsible for preserving the family.
We do not live in the same kind of culture with the same reliance on the wealth of previous generations to sustain the current one.
We are called to be good stewards.
When it comes to our possessions, we are called to be good managers. This means that we recognize God as the actual owner of all the world’s resources. It is our responsibility, then, to wisely manage the materials God has entrusted to us. The ultimate question in all our dealings should be, “How can I honor the Lord with the possessions and finances God has blessed me with?”
It is likely that leaving an inheritance to your family members will play a part in answering that question, but perhaps not exclusively. It is more complicated than a simple yes-or-no question.
Should I leave an inheritance?
Being good stewards requires that we think more deeply about the inheritance question. Every family dynamic is different. Leaving an estate to family members can be an enormous blessing or an incredible disaster. That is why you should ask yourself some tough questions:
- How much money would bless my family without negatively impacting their view of work and stewardship?
- How can I leave an inheritance that does not ultimately undermine family relationships?
- What issues or problems might I compound by leaving money to my family members?
- What discussions do I need to have ahead of time so that no one is hurt or shocked by my decisions?
- Is there Kingdom work that I also want to support through the inheritance I leave behind?
The final stewardship opportunity.
What you do with your assets is your last big stewardship opportunity. Spend some time weighing your options. Do not be afraid to seek out the wisdom of a Christian financial counselor. They might have some ideas and suggestions you have yet to consider.
God has blessed each one of us a little differently. The challenge is to use whatever we have—money, time, energy, and skills—to serve God and grow His Kingdom. This means that we look at what we have and ask God, “How can I use this to glorify You and reconcile people to You?” When we consistently ask ourselves that question, we are well on our way to becoming good stewards.
