What Does It Look Like to Bless the Next Generation?

“May God Almighty bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”” ~ Genesis 28:3-4 NLT

This was Isaac’s blessing that he spoke over his son, Jacob. This serves as a great example for us as we seek to pass down generational blessing. 

First, keep in mind how messy, broken, and dysfunctional this family was. Jacob was leaving home because he deceived his father to steal the blessing that belonged to his older brother, Esau. This so infuriated Esau that he planned to kill Jacob. So, this blessing came in a time of crisis and shame for the entire family. 

Think your family is too messed up to convey a powerful blessing to children and grandchildren? Well, I would encourage you to reconsider. 

Next, pay attention to the generational scope of the blessing. This blessing reaches back two generations (to Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham) into the future of Jacob’s many descendants. 

God’s blessing is never intended for my personal happiness (or yours). God always multiplies his blessing - he blesses us to be a blessing. He sows the seed of blessing into our lives and harvests crops of blessing in the lives of rising generations. 

Last, the blessing included “land” - a tangible asset that would give future generations a place, an identity, and the space needed to one day be a blessing to the entire world (through the birth of Jacob’s greatest descendant, Jesus Christ). 

We bless future generations by passing down assets (our estates) in ways that fuel the values, vision and mission that God imparts to us. Money is like gasoline, it can either propel the family forward (like a gas engine) or it can burn down everything (like lighter fluid). It’s combustible. 

What blessing do you want to speak while you still have the opportunity?