Generational Business Transition

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” — Proverbs 13:22

Since you usually cannot pass down your job to your children if you work for an employer, one of the key benefits of operating a kingdom business is that your children can inherit the business.

The Bible teaches that a good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children; this suggests that we must think “multi-generationally” when building a kingdom business. Biblical Entrepreneurs are taught that a kingdom business must be built to withstand at least three generations. This multi-generational concept is not just seen in the book of Proverbs, but it is also seen in Genesis, in the life of Abraham, our patriarch.God gave Abraham a vision to possess the land of Canaan and form a new nation, but this could not be carried out in his lifetime; he passed the vision on to Isaac. Isaac could not complete the vision so he passed it on to Jacob. Jacob became the manifestation of the promise. His name was changed to Israel, which meant that his children were the beginning of the new nation. Though the nation was manifested through Jacob and his children, it took Moses and Joshua to lead the people into the Land of Promise and for the nation to finally be formed. What if Abraham did not think “multi-generationally”? The vision would have never been materialized.

In planning with a multi-generational strategy in mind, it is important to note that it is not a guarantee that your children will be the ones to inherit the business. Though it is God’s best, it is not always automatic. They must be called, possess the ability and grace, and they must have the willingness to carry it forward. You cannot force it on them nor can you pass it on to them if they are not called or prepared. Thinking “multi-generationally” does not mean that there is an entitlement; rather, it means that we are committed to seeing God’s will realized beyond our lifetime..

For those of you who are at the point of transition, the question you must ask yourself is, “How do I prepare for the transition?” In preparing for the transition, you must first ask yourself, “Do I have an Isaac in my household like Abraham did?” If one of your children has the ability, commitment, grace, and vision to carry it foward, then you must first consider him or her because God calls families, not individuals. When God calls an individual, He involves that individual’s entire family, it is the individual’s responsibility to prepare the family to receive the vision. If you do not have an Isaac, then you must look for a Joshua: someone who is not necessarily related to you, but whom God has called to lead at this time. You must be discerning enough to let him lead as though he were family.

My prayer for you is that God would help you to look long-term in your plans so that you may be able to pass on a kingdom business to your family.