What Does the Bible Say About Inheritance and What Is An Estate Design?
What we leave behind includes more than money. Our families also inherit what we teach them about God, generosity, and the purpose of what He gives.
When Christians ask, “What does the Bible say about inheritance?” we’re usually thinking about it in the context of money. We want to know how much to leave our children, whether each child should receive the same amount, and how to provide for the people we love without giving them something they are not prepared to steward. Like many things in Scripture, it would be convenient if we were given a number or a formula. But Scripture doesn’t do that here.
What Scripture does give us, is a much larger picture of one generation caring for the next. Material provision is part of that picture, but so is the responsibility to teach our children who God is, remember His faithfulness, and help them understand what He has placed in their hands.
That means the inheritance we leave is already happening. Our children and grandchildren are learning what we believe about money by watching what we do with it. They hear how we talk about having enough (or not). They see what we hold onto, what we enjoy, what we give, and where we turn when we are afraid.
So a biblical conversation about inheritance has to include more than what we will leave behind someday. It also asks what we are passing along now.
What does inheritance mean in the Bible?
One of the best-known Bible verses on inheritance is Proverbs 13:22:
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.”
(Proverbs 13:22, ESV)
It is easy to read that proverb and put all our attention on what is being left behind. Yet the verse begins with the person doing the leaving. It describes a life whose faithfulness has consequences beyond a single generation.
The biblical inheritance laws of the Old Testament help fill out that picture. Land and property were connected to a family’s provision and continuity, so what one generation received affected the generations that followed. An inheritance was not only an asset changing hands. That property carried responsibilities, relationships, and a place within the life of a family.
Scripture also gives significant attention to what parents pass down apart from property. In Deuteronomy 6, God tells Israel to teach His words diligently to their children and to make that teaching part of ordinary family life, at home and along the road, at the beginning of the day and at its end (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV).
Psalm 78 gives a similar picture. One generation tells the next what God has done so that their children will put their confidence in Him and remember His works. A family can pass along property, but it can also pass along a memory of God’s faithfulness, habits of generosity, and an understanding that what we have comes from Him.
Both are important.
Your children are inheriting something already
Inheritance does not begin when an estate is settled. Our families are learning from the way we live with what God has given us right now.
They notice how we respond when money feels tight and what happens when we have more than we expected. They hear how we talk about success, security, generosity, and the future. They see what we protect, what we enjoy, and what we are willing to release. Over time, those ordinary moments form their understanding of money.
A child can learn to see resources primarily as something to accumulate and protect. A child can also learn that what we have is entrusted to us by God, to be enjoyed with gratitude, managed wisely, and shared generously. Parents may never sit down and announce either lesson, but children still receive one because they are watching how we live.
Put another way: Your children inherit your relationship with money along with your money.
For many of us, that reality exposes places where we are still learning. The Lord is still forming us as stewards. We are still learning what it means to trust Him, recognize what is enough, hold resources with open hands, and listen for what He may want done with what He has provided.
Our children get to see that process too.
What are we hoping to pass down?
Parents and grandparents naturally want to provide for the people they love. The harder work is considering what that provision may do in the life of the person who receives it.
Proverbs 20:21 offers an interesting counterpoint to the familiar inheritance Bible verse in Proverbs 13:
“An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.”
(Proverbs 20:21, ESV)
Scripture does not give us a formula for applying that proverb to every modern family. It does remind us, however, that receiving wealth and being prepared to steward wealth are different things. An inheritance can provide opportunity and security, but the transfer itself cannot prepare someone for the responsibility that comes with it.
That gives parents and grandparents more to consider than How much should I leave? We can also ask what we are doing now to prepare the next generation for whatever they may one day receive.
Have they seen generosity practiced in our home and been invited into some of those decisions? Do they know why we give and what has shaped the ministries and causes our family cares about? Have they heard the stories of God’s provision that we do not want to forget? Do they understand that resources bring responsibility along with opportunity?
Those conversations belong to the inheritance too. They help children connect money with faith before they are ever asked to manage what someone else has accumulated.
The family on the other side
Inheritance decisions become personal because the people on the other side of them are people we know and love. A plan can account carefully for every financial asset and still leave important family questions unanswered.
Families have experienced conflict over things worth very little on paper: Grandma’s china, Dad’s tools, the dining room table, a collection nobody thought needed to be discussed. The dollar value may be small while the meaning attached to the object reaches through decades of family history.
That is why thinking wisely about inheritance requires more than making a list of assets and beneficiaries. We also need to think about the people who will receive what we leave.
Who are they becoming? What responsibilities are they prepared to carry? What might a particular decision communicate to them? What do we hope they understand about God, generosity, and stewardship when they look back on the way our family handled money?
There will not be a perfect answer to every question. Asking them still matters because it keeps the people connected to the plan. An estate is not simply a collection of assets that need destinations. It is one part of a family’s larger stewardship story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Bible say about inheritance?
The Bible connects inheritance with provision, family responsibility, and life across generations. Scripture speaks about land and property being passed down while also calling one generation to teach the next to know God and remember His faithfulness. For Christians, that gives us reason to consider both the material resources we leave and what our families have learned from the way we stewarded them.
What does inheritance mean in the Bible?
The meaning of inheritance in the Bible includes land, property, family provision, and generational continuity. Scripture also places strong emphasis on one generation teaching the next about God and His faithfulness. A biblical understanding of inheritance therefore includes both material provision and the beliefs and practices a family passes forward.
What Bible verse talks about inheritance from parents?
Proverbs 13:22 is one of the most familiar Bible verses about inheritance from parents: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Proverbs 13:22, ESV). Proverbs 20:21 adds an important caution by reminding us that receiving an inheritance does not automatically mean someone is prepared to steward it well.
Does the Bible say how much inheritance to leave your children?
Scripture does not give a specific amount or percentage. It encourages provision, wisdom, faithfulness, and concern for future generations while leaving families to consider their particular responsibilities before the Lord. The decision requires discernment rather than a universal financial formula.
Estate Design can begin with those questions
For Cru Foundation, Estate Design begins before legal documents are drafted. We start by listening to the story that has already been taking shape.
Who are the people God has placed in your life? What has He entrusted to you? What responsibilities do you carry toward the people who depend on you? What has shaped the way you think about generosity? What do you hope your family understands about the choices you are making?
Questions like these help establish the purpose of a plan before attention turns to the technical details. Eventually, those convictions may need to be reflected in legal documents prepared with professional advisors. The documents matter, but they serve decisions that begin with faith, family, stewardship, and a clear sense of responsibility before the Lord.
That may be one of the most useful ways to think about a biblical inheritance. You are already building one, even if nothing has been formally passed down.
Every story of God’s provision that you tell, every conversation about generosity, every opportunity for your children to participate in giving, and every decision to use what God has provided faithfully becomes part of what another generation receives.
So instead of beginning only with How much should I leave? it may be worth asking a larger question:
What are my kids and grandkids learning from the way I steward what they may one day inherit?
Cru Foundation gives families a place to work through questions like these and consider how their plans can reflect the stewardship convictions that have shaped their lives.
Start a conversation with a Cru Foundation specialist:
crufoundation.org/contact · 800-449-5454 · hello@crufoundation.org
This content is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Please consult your professional advisor regarding your specific situation.
Estate Planning as Stewardship: Planning for What Matters Most
Katie Brubaker: Welcome to the Smarter Generosity podcast. I’m Katie Brubaker.
Eric Fleshood: And I’m Eric Fleshood.
Katie: Most of us know we should have an estate plan. But many of us either don’t have one or have a plan we haven’t looked at in years.
Eric, I’ll start with a confession. I’m in that second category. I have an estate plan, but it needs updating. So as we’re talking about this today, I’m also talking to myself.
Estate planning has this strange quality of feeling both urgent and incredibly easy to put off at the same time. That’s exactly how I’ve ended up in my current situation.
Today, we’re talking about what estate planning can look like and what changes when a family stops treating it as just another legal task and starts approaching it as a conversation about stewardship.
Eric, when families come to Cru Foundation for help with estate planning, what’s usually going on in their lives? What are they thinking about as individuals, couples, or families?
Eric: I think there are roughly two categories.
The first is when a life event has either just happened or is currently unfolding, and it brings the need for estate planning to the surface.
Maybe someone has entered a second marriage, welcomed a new baby, or moved to a new state. Something happens that makes them realize, “We really need to take care of this.”
The second category, and this is the one I’d love more people to experience, comes from a different place.
It’s when someone recognizes, “I’ve been blessed with so much. I really want to give some thoughtful consideration to what God is calling me to do with all of it.”
That’s the kind of opportunity we want to create through Cru Foundation’s estate design service.
Katie: Let’s start there. Tell us about Cru Foundation’s estate design service. What exactly is it?
Eric: It’s a step people can take before they begin the legal estate planning process.
Research has shown that many people spend time and money working with an attorney to prepare estate planning documents, but then never actually sign them.
One reason is that they may not fully understand what their plan is designed to accomplish. Or perhaps they’re not confident that the documents reflect what they originally wanted.
That’s where we can come alongside them.
We’re not attorneys. We don’t prepare the legal documents that execute an estate plan.
But we are people who are deeply rooted in what Scripture has to say about stewardship.
We can create space for someone to consider some important questions before getting into the technical details.
What is God saying to you about the purpose of your money and wealth?
What outcomes do you ultimately want for your loved ones, your family, your community, and the causes you care deeply about?
We can help sketch out a blueprint for how the resources God has entrusted to you might support those outcomes.
It becomes a much bigger conversation about the meaning of your life, what matters most, and what you believe God is calling you to accomplish.
Katie: Those are big conversations.
And I really do feel that it’s an honor for our team to step into that space with donors. It’s sacred ground in many ways.
You’re bringing together two very personal parts of someone’s life.
On one side, you have family, with all the relationships and dynamics that come with it. Every family we’ve sat down with has its own stories and its own unique relationships.
And then you have money and possessions. What is the Lord calling you to do with the resources He’s entrusted to you?
Those are two very personal, even sacred, spaces that come together when you’re making decisions about an estate plan.
Eric: I love that phrase, “sacred space,” because I think it captures a unique contribution we can make to the process.
Attorneys have expertise in many things, and we absolutely need that expertise.
But when someone walks into an attorney’s office to prepare an estate plan, the attorney needs answers to specific questions.
For example, who’s going to be the guardian of your children?
That’s an important decision, and many people haven’t taken the time to really think it through.
They haven’t necessarily had an opportunity to sit down with someone who can serve as a sounding board, point them toward relevant Scripture, and bring wisdom to that conversation.
That’s why creating that sacred space is so important.
Katie: A lot of people initially come to us with technical questions.
They’ll ask, “Should I have a will or a trust? What’s the difference? Here’s what my estate looks like. Can you help me understand the options?”
But in my experience, those technical conversations almost always lead into relational questions and that bigger conversation about stewardship.
It comes back to understanding what they’re really trying to accomplish.
Eric: That’s right. And we believe it should.
I think part of the reason so many Christians have found estate planning to be an unpleasant or even morbid experience is that we’ve approached it primarily as a mechanical or technical process.
We believe it needs to be spiritual before it becomes mechanical.
That’s where the joy is.
There’s something meaningful about seeking the Lord through a process that’s spiritually healthy and grounded in purpose.
Once you’ve established that foundation, you can begin asking which tools will best help you accomplish what God is calling you to do.
Should you use a will or a trust?
Those are important questions, but you don’t want to start by comparing the technical features of different tools without first understanding why you’re making the plan.
Katie: At what age would you recommend someone start thinking about estate planning?
Is there a particular stage of life when someone should reach out and begin this process?
Eric: It’s hard for me to imagine an adult, regardless of their stage of life or marital status, who wouldn’t benefit from thinking through these questions.
God has called each of us to steward certain things. We all have resources and responsibilities entrusted to us.
The question is, what are we supposed to do with them?
And if something happens that prevents us from continuing to live our lives as we currently do, whether that’s a disability or some other unexpected event, what’s the plan?
Do we simply want the courts and other authorities to make those decisions for us?
Or do we want to understand God’s purposes and take thoughtful steps to ensure that our wishes and responsibilities are addressed, whatever happens?
Katie: That’s a good point.
Because if you don’t make a plan, there is already a default plan for you.
It’s just not necessarily the one you would have chosen.
Eric: Exactly.
There are default legal processes that apply when someone hasn’t put an estate plan in place.
But when people look more closely at what those default arrangements might mean for their families, they often discover that the outcome isn’t what they would have wanted.
Katie: I mentioned at the beginning that I’m someone who needs to update our estate plan.
But for those of us who either haven’t started or know we need to make changes and keep putting it off, what do you think is underneath that avoidance?
Why is estate planning something people tend to postpone for so long?
Eric: I think there are several factors.
Cost can certainly be a barrier.
Estate planning can also sound boring, technical, and complicated.
And let’s be fair, for many people, the idea of visiting an attorney isn’t exactly exciting. Often, when you need an attorney, it’s because something difficult is happening.
With all due respect to our attorney friends, of course. We need them, we appreciate them, and our society couldn’t function without their work.
But I think another major barrier is the fear of death.
There’s a researcher named Russell James who’s studied the psychology and neuroscience of estate planning.
His research has explored how people respond to the subject of death and how that affects their willingness to engage in estate planning.
The basic idea is that if you want to discourage people from attending an estate planning seminar, make the entire conversation about death.
Katie: So don’t talk about death or dying?
Eric: Well, death and taxes aren’t exactly people’s favorite subjects.
But here’s the thing.
Wherever we are in our spiritual journey, the gospel brings us the good news that we no longer have to live in bondage to the fear of death.
As Christians, we’ve been freed from that fear through Jesus Christ.
Now, we’re all still growing in our understanding of that truth. We’re learning to build our lives around it and allow it to shape our hearts.
But when we begin to grasp that freedom, it opens up tremendous possibilities.
If I don’t have to cling tightly to everything because I’m afraid of death, then I have an opportunity to be a blessing throughout my life, in every decade, right up to the end.
Katie: I think most of us have heard stories about estate plans that didn’t go well.
Maybe there were problems with the will or disagreements over the estate, and relationships within the family suffered as a result.
We’ve all heard those stories.
But there’s such a difference when a parent or grandparent has taken the time to think through their values and clearly communicate their wishes to the family before they’re gone.
They’ve explained what they want to do and why.
And that can have a significant effect on the relationships within the family.
I’d say family relationships are one of our top priorities when we’re helping people think through their estate plans.
We take that relational aspect very seriously because we know what can happen when those conversations don’t take place.
Eric: That’s exactly right.
You could have the most technically sound estate plan imaginable.
It could save every possible dollar in taxes, account for every asset, and be structured beautifully from a legal perspective.
And yet the family could still fall apart over Grandma’s diamond brooch.
If that happens, you might reasonably ask whether the estate plan really accomplished what mattered most.
If the family can’t stay together, embrace one another, and remain thankful for one another, what have you really gained?
People are far more important than dollars.
They’re far more important than the mechanics of the plan.
The legal tools and financial techniques should ultimately support the family and help preserve those relationships through what can be a very difficult season.
Katie: Let’s get practical for a moment.
When a family reaches out to Cru Foundation about estate design, what actually happens? What does that process look like?
Eric: They’ll work with someone who has experience walking alongside families through a wide range of circumstances.
Our goal is to help them create a blueprint that prepares them for the legal estate planning process.
We begin by asking questions and listening.
We want to understand their goals, what they’re hoping to accomplish, what’s prevented them from moving forward, and what a successful outcome would look like.
Then we begin looking at their property.
What do they own? How are those assets owned?
We also want to understand the people in their lives.
Who are the important people who need to be cared for and considered through this process?
Once we have a picture of their people and property, we look at their planners.
Who are the trusted advisors in their lives?
That might include their attorney, accountant, or financial advisor. We want to understand what input those professionals may have as we help develop the blueprint.
Then we bring everything together in a professional packet written in plain English.
It helps people understand their assets, their goals, and the decisions they need to make to develop a plan that reflects what they believe God is calling them to do.
We often refer to this as becoming attorney-ready.
The goal is to prepare people for a productive conversation with their attorney.
They’ve become familiar with the terminology. They’ve considered some of the important decisions. They understand what they’re trying to accomplish.
So they’re not walking into an attorney’s office trying to make every major decision on the spot while the clock is running.
They’ve already worked through many of those questions.
And that makes the conversation between the client and attorney much more productive.
Katie: That’s one of my favorite things about the process.
It gives people space to ask questions before they sit down with an attorney.
We mentioned the question of whether someone needs a will or a trust, but there are so many other things to consider.
What about a power of attorney? How does that work? What are the laws in my state?
There are all these questions that come up as an individual, couple, or family begins thinking through the decisions they need to make.
Being able to work through those questions ahead of time gives people a much greater sense of confidence.
Instead of arriving at an attorney’s office feeling overwhelmed, they can say, “Here’s what we’re hoping to accomplish. Can you help us put the appropriate legal documents in place?”
Eric: Exactly.
And especially for someone doing this for the first time, there are often decisions they haven’t even realized they need to make.
Who will make healthcare decisions if you become unable to make them yourself?
Who will serve as guardian of your children?
Who will manage important financial matters if you’re incapacitated?
Who will serve as the executor of your estate?
And when you start considering those questions, you begin to see how they affect family relationships.
For example, should you automatically choose your oldest child to be the executor?
What kind of responsibility or pressure might that place on them?
Could that decision create tension among siblings?
People often realize they need time to think through those questions carefully.
That’s what our estate design service helps them do.
Katie: Another thing I appreciate about estate design is that it can be a helpful starting point for people who are unfamiliar with Cru Foundation.
Maybe they’ve started looking into the various tools and services we offer, and they’re excited about the idea of stewardship and generosity, but they’re also feeling a little overwhelmed.
They don’t know where to begin.
I think estate design can be a wonderful entry point because it allows someone to look at the entire picture of their estate.
And it helps them think about generosity in two ways.
There’s the generosity they want to practice during their lifetime, and there’s also the legacy they want to leave after they’re gone.
Eric: I’m so glad you brought that up because I think it’s a really important distinction.
Sometimes I struggle with the name estate design service because it can make people think we’re only talking about end-of-life planning.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
What we’re really helping people develop is a master stewardship plan for their entire lives.
We’re looking at the whole picture, including all the important people and resources in their world, and asking how they can steward those things well.
And we’re beginning with the end in mind.
That’s one of the fundamental principles of planning.
Where do you want to end up?
Once you’ve answered that question, you can begin working backward to understand what needs to happen along the way.
Estate design helps people think through that bigger picture, from beginning to end.
Katie: I think that’s a great summary.
Eric, if someone takes only one thing away from this conversation, what would you want it to be?
Eric: I think I’d want people to recognize that the question isn’t really whether they need a plan.
The more important question is whether the plan that’s already in place will accomplish what they truly believe matters.
Whether you’ve signed estate planning documents or you’ve left those decisions to the default legal processes, some kind of plan is going to determine what happens.
So I’d encourage people to ask themselves, “Does the plan I have, or the plan that would be put in place if I haven’t made one, genuinely reflect what I believe God’s will is for my life?”
That’s the question I’d want people to consider.
Katie: And if someone listening realizes that their current plan doesn’t reflect those priorities very well, where would you encourage them to begin?
What’s the next step?
Eric: I’d invite them to give Cru Foundation a call or send us an email.
Learn a little more about our estate design process. Ask questions and explore whether it’s something that could help you move forward.
A lot of people find that it gives them the clarity and encouragement they need to begin.
For some, it’s almost like getting a second opinion or another opportunity to review what they’ve already put together.
And one thing we haven’t mentioned is that Cru Foundation provides this estate design service on a complimentary basis, with no obligation to give.
You won’t receive a bill from us for the service.
We believe the process is valuable enough that we want to make it available as a ministry to the people we serve.
And we’ll never tell you where you have to give or how much you should give.
We trust that you’re the steward.
Our role is to come alongside you, help you think through the important questions, and support you as you seek to accomplish God’s will for your life.
Katie: Thank you, Eric.
Eric: Thank you, Katie. It was great talking with you.
Katie: You too. See you next episode.
This transcript has been edited for clarity and readability. Verbal fillers, repetitions, and recording interruptions have been removed.
This content is provided for educational purposes only and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Please consult your professional advisor regarding your specific situation.
