The Best Inheritance Any Parent Can Leave Is Godly Character Series

However, if we can’t leave many good things financially, we can ALWAYS leave them good things morally, and that’s what this verse is saying most of all. Of all the things that you leave, make sure that you leave GOOD things. When my 75-year-old pastor dad learned he had terminal cancer, he pulled me aside and said, “Son, I’m sorry I don’t have much to leave you.” I can still remember the emotions I felt at that moment as I looked into the steel blue eyes of that square jawed Scotsman. Immense gratefulness welled up in my soul as I said to him, “Dad what you have given my family and I is worth ten thousand times more than any dollars, trust me dad, you have left us so rich!” You see, every time he would build up any kind of nest egg, he would get up and pioneer a church plant. Essentially, he put all of his money into the Lord’s work. He died with just a couple thousand dollars to his name, but I’ll tell you that he gave us millions in a godly heritage.

There Are Three “Good” Things That Every Grandparent Ought to Leave:

1.) Prayers

Pray for your grandchildren to be saved by the grace of God. Grandparents are a great key in the salvation of their grand children through praying that they might be truly born again. One of the exciting things about my position as a grandparent is that I can be a good grandparent whether I live next door, ten miles away or a thousand miles across the world. Being a good grandparent doesn’t require that I am with them all the time, but I can ALWAYS pray for them.

For example, Paul prayed for his spiritual children in Ephesians 1, that they would understand the depth and the riches of who they were in Christ. A prayer that I pray every week for my children and grandchildren, is the prayer of David for Solomon, that God would give each one: A heart for God, a life that is obedient and hands that serve the Lord. Let’s pray that our children and grandchildren can get a hold of God’s truth in their heart. Pray that they will fall in love with Jesus in a special way.

2.) Instruction

Instruction should be given that reinforces God’s Word and good morals, as you have opportunity to be with grandchildren. Sometimes circumstances don’t allow us to be with them as much as we might like. Perhaps then, a granddad or mom could have a texting program, where they text every grandchild. Or, of course writing letters and making phone calls occasionally is a good step of influence.

One little sidebar here about grand parenting: The command to instruct is not the right to instruct for grand parents. The right to instruct belongs to the parent. Grandparents can only instruct as they are allowed. Now, if I am told not to tell them about Jesus I cannot obey that, but just about anything else, I need to yield to the jurisdiction of the parents. For the most part we must keep our hands off and our mouth shut, and let them come to us.

Grandparents should instruct the children that when they die they are not gone, but that they will be waiting for them. Tell them, “When Papa or Grandma dies, I want you to know that I want to meet you in heaven.” You should speak to them about the principles of God. Most of the time it will be side-by-side instruction while we’re driving or while we’re doing some little project together, where we can talk about the principles of God. You don’t have to be the greatest theologian that lives to touch their life. You can certainly tell them about things YOU have learned from the Bible, somehow and in someway. I love telling “made up” stories with Bible truths woven into them. My adult children can tell you that they have heard some of the craziest stories ever as a child (ask them about “Low Shoulder”)!