Inheritance—What Do You Do With It?

 

My mother’s house was just transferred to me from her probate estate.  When the house sells, I will have more money than I have ever had in one lump sum.  It’s not an expensive house, but our greatest source of income comes in bi-weekly payments of less than 2% of the house’s expected sale price. 

All of a sudden I find myself wanting to purchase things in expectation of this future windfall.  Some things I know have to be delayed, but that book or Kindle I want doesn’t cost that much, and I’ll soon be rich, so why not buy it now?  As a Christian, I wonder if I should think the same way about my inheritance in Christ.

The Bible talks about two types of inheritance.  First, the people of God are His inheritance.  This is an interesting concept to consider, but I’ll leave it for another time.  Second, the people of God have an inheritance guaranteed by Jesus, in and for eternity.  What is this inheritance?  As we are identified with Christ, we share His inheritance, an eternal existence with His people. 

What does that inheritance look like and how do I treat it now?  If it’s not like spending money on a book in anticipation of a future windfall, what is it like? 

Picture a snowstorm and a hungry run-away foster child shivering outside a well-lit house.  Through the window he can see a large wooden dining table piled high with all sorts of delicacies.  But that’s not what captures his attention for long.  Around the table he can see children and adults laughing and talking, patting each other on the arm or back, and reveling in relationship.  That’s what he wants most of all: a loving family.  Without a thought, he knows that love will make everything else alright.

And that’s the inheritance of a Christian.  When we trust God, through Christ, we are invited inside and made part of God’s family.  And once we are in that family, “. . . neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation . . .” will matter to us, because we will have everything that does matter.  So pain, sorrow, grief, poverty, and all other ills, will in this time, in this life, cease to matter so much.  Yes, we will still experience them, but the bite will be gone. 

No, don’t ask me to explain further; this is almost more than I can grasp myself.  All I know for sure is that our inheritance today means that we can live life freely.  And there I’ll end it.