Living Generously Even When You're Dead - day 20

Living Generously Even When You're Dead

Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children; but, a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

Proverbs 13:22 says that one of the generosities a good man can show is by leaving an inheritance, not just to his children; but, to his children’s children. The idea is that this man, rather than spending all his resources on himself alone, chose to save his money so that it might bless people in ways he’ll never see. It is quite a selfless act of generosity to conserve one’s own use of resources and give them to future generations, and it is a practice that is to be commended.

Have you thought about how you can be generous for years after you are gone? This isn’t just a question for the wealthy who might be able to pass along large sums of money to their family. No, this question applies to any kind of person. You might say, “I’m a pretty ordinary person, what can I possibly do?” You can live generously and pass on a legacy and model of generosity that will bless generations of descendants who will indirectly be blessed by your actions and attitude. You can generously pass along the wisdom and knowledge you have to younger generations. (All those mistakes have to add up to something!) If you are educated, maybe you can tutor. If you have been through lots of bad life decisions, maybe you can counsel people who might in danger of making the mistakes you made.

When you invest in the generations still to come, you have no way of knowing how greatly the Lord can multiply your generosity. Imagine if your generosity affects just two people. Now imagine that each of those people bless two more people. If God chooses, the ripple of your generosity could spread far beyond anything you could ever have imagined and farther into the future than you thought possible. Never underestimate the value of blessing the generations to come.

Today’s Generosity Challenge:
Today, your challenge is to research, find and set an appointment with a financial planner. Even if you don’t have what you feel is much of an estate to plan, do it anyway. I think you’ll be surprised. Write down your surprises below.

About Michael Stickler

Mike is an author, radio host, and a highly sought after motivational speaker. His best-selling book, A Journey to Generosity, is widely acclaimed throughout the Christian community. He is the publisher of Generous Living Magazine and writes for the Christian Post, 'A Generous Life' column.