Passing on Biblical Wisdom to the Next Generation

By Ron Bare

While stopped at a red light today, the image on the box truck in front of me caught my eye. There, displayed on the back of the truck, was an image of a family enjoying a meal together. All of a sudden, I found myself craving a delicious holiday meal. (Thankfully, those meals are just around the corner.) Even more than those meals, I found myself craving quality family time. That advertisement was sure doing its job! The holidays are a beautiful time to spend time with those you love most, and I hope you get to enjoy the gift of family in just a few weeks.

Not only are the holidays filled with food and family time, but they’re also filled with conversation. What topics of conversation typically fill your table during the holidays? Our conversations often revolve around life updates, stories from work, excitement for the new year, and family memories. As I look ahead to the holidays this year, I wonder if there’s a new topic of conversation we could, and perhaps should, bring to the table.

What would it look like to start intentionally passing on wisdom to our families? I truly believe that passing on wisdom to the next generation is one of the best ways to be faithful with what we have been given. It is a beautiful opportunity to leave a lasting legacy. When those we love can learn from our mistakes without having to make the mistake themselves, it saves time and lowers stress. It allows for room for them to make their own mistakes and grow, while acknowledging the wisdom you’ve already passed on to them.

Wisdom is a common topic throughout the Bible, especially in Proverbs. In Proverbs 2, we read about how to obtain wisdom and how wisdom changes us. Verse 6 reads, “For the Lord gives wisdom.” Where else could it come from? Who else knows all? I am encouraged when I remember that we have direct access to the Lord and can ask Him for wisdom through prayer. Let us rejoice that our God offers us this gift!

When the Lord does graciously choose to grant us wisdom, we see its impact permeate our lives. When we have wisdom, we fear the Lord. When we have wisdom, we gain knowledge that can only come from God himself. He guides us as we live and grants us a sense of right and wrong. Wisdom acts as a shield and a protection from things that we may not have otherwise been aware of, including evil or immoral things.

As we grow older and experience more of life, we tend to grow in wisdom. Each success and failure have something to teach us. With every experience, we gain more wisdom that can be passed on. The Lord has granted these opportunities to us, and I believe that sharing these experiences and wisdom with our children and grandchildren is both an incredible opportunity and responsibility.

As we enter the final months of this year, consider bringing a new topic of conversation to your table. What wisdom can you bestow upon those you love? It might be as simple as asking a few questions. Ask someone in your family, “What is something you have learned this year?” Consider powerful stories from the last few months or years that have shaped your thinking, your principles, and your beliefs. Be prepared to share these things with your family as you share meals together.

Many biblical men and women have prayed for wisdom throughout the years. We look to Moses, whose prayer we hope is the echo of each of our hearts: “Heavenly Father, teach me to number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom.” I pray that this holiday season, we each desire to both grow in wisdom and share it with those we love.