Reverence Journal

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Impartation and Inheritance

In order for an individual, a congregation or an entire movement to live in sustained revival the older generation must learn to impart and the younger generation must learn to inherit.

For the older generation to impart, they must be willing to adopt young leaders and share, with transparency, their thought processes, failures, successes, pains and joys. Impartation will require allowing younger, less skilled, less qualified people to have an opportunity to lead. The older generation must be invested in, not annoyed by, the younger generation.

For the younger generation to inherit means being teachable and valuing the blood, sweat and tears of the previous generation. It means being able to learn through other people's experiences so that you don't have to learn every lesson the hard way. It means building on, not tearing down, the work of the previous generation. It means humbling yourself to be lead by someone else and showing them honor for their faithfulness.

For the younger generation, an inheritance is not something you earn, it's something you receive. Those that hope to inherit blessings from the previous generation will need to receive that inheritance graciously and thankfully.

For the older generation, an inheritance is something that you will give to others.  Make sure that those you hope to leave your spiritual inheritance to have been trained how to steward the inheritance well.  

Impartation and inheritance take place primarily through a mentoring relationship that resembles spiritual parenting. It's not coaching or a professional relationship. It's a relationship that transcends distance and season's of life.

For those that are 40 or older, begin to identify people that you believe are worthy of the spiritual inheritance that you wish to impart. Invite them into relationship with you. Take a genuine interest in their lives.

For those that are under 40, show honor and respect, not disdain, for those that have gone before you. Demonstrate faithfulness and trustworthiness so that you might be able to inherit what others wish to impart.