There are five key areas where we as parents must
be intentional about passing on our legacy and
investing in future generations:
1. VALUES
Psalm 78:5-6 says, “He decreed statutes for Jacob and estab-
lished the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children, so the next generation would know
them, even the children yet to
be born, and they in turn would
tell their children.” God wants
your grandchildren to carry on
your faith and the faith of their
parents for generations to come.
When you’re gone, will they
still believe in Jesus? Will they
still walk with God? Be diligent
in sharing the gospel with your
grandchildren.
2. STORIES
“If I would lose one child or grandchild over wealth, then it
would be better if Hobby Lobby never existed.” I’ve always
heard it said that the best way to know if your children are
able to handle an inheritance is whether they need it or not.
Stated differently, the more our children and grandchildren
have character capital, work ethic, and spiritual foundations,
the more capable they will be to handle financial capital.
5. GENEROSITY
Perhaps one of the most
profound values to pass on to
children is a heart of generosity.
Generosity is a great reflection of
a person’s ability to handle finan-
cial wealth. A generous person is
a joyful person and reflects the
character and image of Christ. In
the book mentioned previous-
ly, David Green describes how
their family, including grand-
children, meet once a month to
practice the art of giving. They
review requests they receive
and talk about the merits of
those requests. Furthermore, the
grandchildren have their own
donor-advised fund through
The Signatry (thesignatry.com)
where the grandchildren give as
a group. This practice of generosity helps cement values and
promotes discussion about what matters.
“Instead of raising children
to independence, we must
raise our children to be
interdependent. We raise
them to realize they are
part of a bigger story.”
According to Jewish tradition,
the Passover celebration is to
start with the youngest child
asking: “Why is this night differ-
ent from all other nights?” It is
essentially the request to retell
the story. Part of values trans-
mission is helping them know
and understand your family stories. Tell them how you met
your spouse and what it was like when their mom or dad
was born. Share what it cost to arrive at this place in your
life. Be intentional. Record the stories that will keep the
legacy going. A good tool for this is familyarc.com.
3. PLANNING
Make sure you’ve planned your estate adequately so you
can avoid unnecessary taxes and pass your estate on to your
children and grandchildren with wisdom. Make sure you
have the right tools in place, whether that’s a will, a trust, or
transfer on death provisions. Life insurance, IRAs, and 401k
plans should all have the proper beneficiary designations. If
you own a business, make sure you’ve planned properly for
succession. Decide whether your children or grandchildren
are the right ones to lead it into the future.
4. WEALTH
Ask yourself, “How much should I pass on to my children?”
Be wary of leaving them a windfall, and consider wheth-
er the money you do leave them will harm them or help
them. Will it lead to an attitude of entitlement? As David
Green, CEO of Hobby Lobby, says in Giving It All Away ...
and Getting it All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously,
CONCLUSION
Why is this work of intentional legacy so important? Unfor-
tunately, in too many families the task of raising children is
often delegated to the schools, the church, or youth groups.
The real responsibility of raising children should rest with
the parents and the grandparents. We cannot and should not
leave the future of our families to chance.
The Scriptures tell us that a foolish son is a grief to his
mother (Prov 10:1). On the other hand, John wrote, “I have
no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in
the truth” (3 John 1:4). Passing on values is worth it. If we
are to experience our children, grandchildren, and gener-
ations to come continuing in faith, we’ve got to put in the
hard work to pass on these values to them. ■
William (Bill) High is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Signatry—A Global
Christian Foundation. Prior to starting The Signatry in 2000, Bill was a partner with Black-
well Sanders LLP, an international law firm. Bill has helped found two technology com-
panies: iDonate.com, the only integrated online donation platform serving the non-profit
community, and FamilyArc.com, an online personal and private family legacy platform. In
addition, he is a published author and sought-after conference speaker. Bill is married to
Brooke, and they have four children, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren.
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