What is Generational Wealth?

Growing up, I watched my dad work overnight shifts as a respiratory therapist. Every evening around 5 PM, he’d head out the door, and we wouldn’t see him again until about 7 the next morning. But no matter how tired he was, Sunday mornings always looked the same, we were going to church!

By the time he walked in from his shift, my siblings and I were already getting dressed—we knew the routine. Church wasn’t optional; it was our foundation. At 9 AM, our entire family sat together in the main sanctuary for the first service. Then at 11 AM, my siblings and I would head to our Sunday school classes while my dad—who still hadn’t slept—went on to teach the kindergarten boys. We wouldn’t leave church until around 1 PM.

Year after year, he sacrificed rest to make sure we never missed a moment in God's presence. Through his actions, he taught us what it means to put God first. He showed us how to serve selflessly and how to let God use our lives as tools for His Kingdom.

As I got older, I didn’t always stay on the straight and narrow. But the seeds my father planted, through his example and commitment, never left me. Proverbs 22:6 truly played out in my life. Because my dad made faith a priority, it became a lifeline I could return to when the world left me empty.

Not long ago, my dad apologized during a conversation. He said he wished he had generational wealth to pass down to us. I paused and reminded him of this truth, he did. He gave us a foundation in Christ. He gave us something far more valuable than money—an inheritance of faith that will last through eternity.

Because of his love for God’s Kingdom, that same love now lives in me and in my siblings. That is the legacy he passed down.

So I ask you:
What inheritance are you leaving for your children?
Will it be one that fades away or one that can stand the test of time?