We Stand to Inherit a Lot!

Inheritances today can come with problems—squabbling heirs, hurt, anger and, of course, grief. I long for an inheritance that has none of these issues!

I remember playing the Game of Life when I was young. It was fun anticipating life as an adult—especially when the mere spin of the wheel could determine whether you were a doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc. Having children was as easy as landing on a particular space and came with immediate cash rewards! There were unexpected rewards and, as in real life, trials—but almost always outlandish and humorous.

One space I remember was “Uncle leaves you a skunk farm! Pay [I don’t remember how much, but it was an outrageous sum of money] to get rid of it.” I learned then that an inheritance might not always be a good thing.

Worse than a skunk farm?

Of course, I’ve never heard of anyone having a skunk farm let alone inheriting one! But I have seen countless examples where an inheritance exacted a far greater price on relationships.

The death of a parent causes understandable feelings of grief and sorrow, and a gamut of emotions as memories come rushing to mind. It’s while we’re in this precarious state that we have to deal with the difficult task of being an heir. And unless one is a sole heir, there can be some difficult interpersonal relations.

Potential challenges

Consider some of the possible dynamics:

• Did Dad or Mom communicate his or her intentions? If not, any unusual twist can produce disgruntled feelings on the part of at least one potential heir!
• Does the will call for splitting the estate equally? Are there issues that will make heirs question the fairness of the will even if it does call for property to be divided evenly?
• Is there an interloper—someone whom the other heirs do not see as a legitimate heir? I’m thinking of when someone totally unrelated to the family convinces Dad or Mom to change the will and leave everything to him or her!
• Was there remarriage or other blending of families? If there was any relationship difficulty before a parent’s death, there’s a good chance that old hurts will resurface at this difficult time.
• Are there items of sentimental value to more than one person? Were they either “promised” to more than one heir or never designated to anyone in particular?

My parents have asked me to be the executor of their will; and while I hope it will be a long time before I need to take on this job, I’ve been giving it some thought now. My hope is that some potential problems can be completely avoided by good planning. As well, I hope that my brother, sisters and I can choose to peacefully work together to divide my parents’ property (Romans 12:18). I hope that our conduct at that difficult time will honor our parents.

But even under the best of circumstances, I know it may have its challenges.

A better inheritance

And so my mind drifts to a different inheritance that we all hope to receive. A future inheritance that is truly stupendous—more mind-boggling than anything Milton Bradley could come up with for the Game of Life. Consider the dynamics in this inheritance:

• Our Heavenly Father has communicated His intentions. Through His Word, He’s told us that He wants us to be His children and heirs (Romans 8:17).
• God’s plan calls for all of His heirs to inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29). This inheritance doesn’t need to be split or divided. We all receive this same inheritance—“a perfect inheritance beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Peter 1:4, J.B. Phillips New Testament).
• God will not allow any interloper to inherit with His children. “The unrighteous,” He declares, “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9).
• God has a special plan that goes beyond the greatest hope for any “blended” family today! All of our differences in this life will not matter for this inheritance. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29).
• God makes promises to His sons and daughters, and He does not lie (Titus 1:2). He promises, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Revelation 21:7). We are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). God’s family—including all of His many children—will own all things! And there will be such unity in that family that there will never be discord in that ownership.

It’s an inheritance far different from any we might hope for in this lifetime! But there’s one more difference that’s important to mention: there is no grief accompanying this inheritance! While the death of Christ was required for us to inherit eternal life, our Elder Brother has been resurrected. The family will have “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11)! 

Becky Bennett is wife to Mike, mother to Heather and Erica, and proofreader to many Church of God, a Worldwide Association, publications.