Trust Fund Kids

I have a good friend who is a very successful medical researcher. S has an MD and a PhD, and lots of national and international accolades for the impact of the research they do.

S is also a trust fund kid (well, not really a kid any more).  Someone, somewhere, in their life created a significant pool of money which generates about $75,000/year for S. Now from what I know about endowments and wealth generation (which is not a lot, so…) I am guessing whoever created this trust fund didn’t just put a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars in this trust fund – no, they had to put seven-figures in this trust fund to generate that kind of yearly disbursement.

While I know S to be highly intelligent and motivated, I also wonder about the impact of having a safety net. What chances did they take personally and professionally that they might not have taken without that safety net of support? Just knowing that you have room to maneuver and take chances has to be empowering at some level.

Trust funds are different from inheritances. Trust funds impact the present. Inheritances promise for the future. Inheritances can also be very pleasant surprises but they are also generally a one-time surprise. Trust funds remind you perpetually that someone created a treasury chest for you.

Often in the Bible we read about being co-heirs with Christ. About the inheritance we will receive. But I think inheritance obscures the true nature of salvation – at least inheritance as we think of it today.

Salvation is generally thought of as forgiveness of sins (past) and promise of eternal life (future inheritance). I forget that salvation is also lived out or applied in the present: it impacts my life everyday as I get to walk with and talk with God whenever I want! I can see His work in my life and in the lives of others; it shapes me and helps me grow, and provides refreshment and spiritual snacks for the journey of life. Everyone knows that when you are on a journey you need snacks and companionship.

So while I certainly have an inheritance and am a co-heir, I’m also one of God’s trust fund kids. I have His safety net – I have room to maneuver and take chances and trust His provision and care for me. I have His protection to live out His will for my life knowing that He is supplying the courage and the resources required.

What impact for Him can I have when I trust in that safety net?