Lately, I have been thinking a lot about inheritances. Due to a medical scare and a condition I now live with, my thoughts have turned toward making some decisions about the end of my life. Morbid, I know. I have had to think about death too often in my life to this point. I learned that it is very important to make certain directives for that moment in my life. I know how comforting it was when my loved ones had prepared me for their deaths by writing down their wishes and updating their legal matters. Yet, I have procrastinated about my own decisions.

So, I now must take the time to list all my stuff, decide on the person to receive this stuff, find out if they even want my stuff, and make the necessary legal documents for the disposition after I leave this earth.

When my loved ones died, they took absolutely nothing material with them; so, I have inherited a vast collection of things in the past 35 years. I look around my home today and see their treasures left in my care.

The turquoise glass vase in my bedroom was purchased by my grandparents when they visited us in El Paso and we took them to the glass-blowing factory in Juarez. This vase is the only piece left from our many visits. When I look at my vase, I think of my grandparents who loved me enough to drive over 17 hours back then to visit me.

The quilt laying across my bed was handmade by my other grandmother. She knew I loved the china doll pattern, so she quilted it for my high school graduation. My Ma was so talented in needlecrafts, but I never took the time for her to teach me to quilt, embroider, and crochet. I had to learn it on my own which constricted my knowledge by not learning from her experience.

The antique German stereo sitting in my living room was purchased by my parents during our first military tour in Germany. It sat in our many homes from the time I was around 6 years old. The wood has a shiny finish that I have polished many times throughout the years. One side of the stereo is behind glass where my mother showcased some of her precious knick-knacks. Looking at the stereo reminds me of all the sacrifices my parents made and the lessons they taught me so my life would shine and be showcased for Jesus.

The buffet in my office was inherited from my first husband. It originally belonged to his grandmother who passed it on to his mother and then given to him upon her death. I know how many different ways he and I have used this piece of furniture and can only imagine what the previous generations stored in it. When I look at it while working in my office, I remember the stereo equipment stored in it when I first met him. It reminds me of his great love for music.

A sign hangs in my den that reads, “Amazing Grace,” and it was inherited from my current husband’s father. I see it every time I sit in my chair. I am reminded of how much grace this man gave me before he left this earth. He may have been quiet-spoken, but that man loved to tease and joke with his family. He loved people and would help anyone who needed him.

One of the reasons that I inherited my loved ones’ treasures is that I had a relationship with them until the day each one of them died. None of us was forced into the relationship. We all made choices to remain connected with one another. I am so thankful for those connections. Each person enriched my life, not because of any physical items left to me, but because of the time spent together, the struggles we worked through together, and the love shown by respecting and giving to each other in our unique ways.

As I study God’s Word, I learn more and more about my spiritual inheritance. By accepting Jesus, God’s Son, as the payment for my sin, God has given me grace, peace, love, and eternal life. God justified me and continues to sanctify me during my earthly life. The Holy Spirit lives within me and gives me God’s power and direction. He has given me faith and hope.

My part in all of this? I must continue in “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5) by having a relationship with God. To receive my spiritual inheritance from God, I need to spend time with Him, read what He has written to me, respect Him in obedience to His authority, love Him by loving His children, and share the complete gospel with others.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Psalm 37! God has given us several truths about our inheritance from Him.

Psalm 37:18 – “The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever.”

Psalm 37:29 – “The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.”

Psalm 37:34 – “Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.”

We must be righteous before God, having right standing with Him through Jesus, obeying Him in faith throughout our earthly lives, and then receiving an inheritance that will last forever.

1 Peter 3:8-9 – “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were call for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

To inherit a blessing, we must give blessings to those around us!

Hebrews 6:11-12 – “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

We must be diligent, never sluggish, in our Christian walk!

Matthew 10:22 – “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Our salvation continues every single moment of our lives by having a relationship with God. It is not just the moment we asked Jesus to be our Savior and pay our penalty for sin.

Can you imagine saying, “Hello,” to your groom or bride or your newborn child and then never, ever speaking to them again or spending time with them? There would be no knowledge of each other, and the relationship would end after your greeting! If I had never nourished my relationship with the people I mentioned above and them with me, I would not have anticipated receiving anything from them after their deaths.

It’s the same way with God. He has so many gifts He wants us to have here on earth because of a righteous relationship with Him. He also has so many more blessings for us when we leave this earth and enter His presence for eternity.

We must faithfully endure to the end.

Revelation 21:7 – “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”