BISHOP MARK BRIGGS
I was barely sixteen, and my hands shook like a dry leaf in the wind. From the moment I nervously filled out my first ‘real’ job application, I couldn’t help but wonder: Why did they care if I had any relatives working there? Little did I know that innocent question would lead me to ponder the profound dynamics of generational transfer and the delicate balance between nepotism and purposeful legacy building.
Unveiling Nepotism and Biblical Generational Transfer
Nepotism, often criticized in corporate settings, involves favoritism toward a nephew and is applicable nowadays to favor shown to any relative, with no regard for their qualifications. It carries a negative connotation of undue advantage and privilege. However, biblical generational transfer contrasts sharply with this by emphasizing the intentional passing down of values, skills, and responsibilities within a family or community.
In the Old Testament, Abraham exemplifies generational transfer when God promises to bless his descendants because of his faithfulness (Genesis 22:17-18). This promise extended through Isaac, Jacob, and beyond, illustrating divine intentionality in passing on blessings and responsibilities across generations. However, there is a nepotistic Abraham revealed only ten chapters earlier, in Genesis 12. In this case, God instructed Abraham to “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
Abraham got two-thirds of God’s command right. He left his native country and was on his way to the land God was showing him. You go, Abraham! But – that darn nephew! – Lot caused Abraham incredible grief more than once. Thus, Abraham provides us with a perfect dichotomy for perusal and study.
The number one factor in a healthy generational transfer is hearing the voice of God and being 100% obedient to it. Without obedience, nothing else really matters. On the other hand, when we are in tune with what God is telling us to do, there are four essentials for healthy generational transfer.
Make Legacy STIC
1. Show – Demonstrate Integrity and Character Proverbs 20:7 states, “The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him.” This underscores the importance of foundational integrity, which shapes individual actions, and the legacy passed on to future generations. Purity, not perfection, must be at the core. Sweet water comes from a deep well. Good and bad character leaks everywhere and will eventually be seen. Get it right down deep at the core, and make sure the “show” is good!
2. Tell – Teach and Instruct Deuteronomy 6:6-7 emphasizes the role of deliberate teaching in generational transfer: “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road when you lie down, and when you get up.” This constant instruction ensures the continuity of values and knowledge. Consider this element of teaching your metronome of legacy. Although often uneventful, it will provide a steady rhythm for the other three elements.
3. Imagine – Invite them to see the Vision and Purpose Proverbs 29:18 affirms, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Passing on a clear vision and purpose provides direction and unity for successive generations, anchoring them in a shared identity and mission.
Remember the old Christmas song, “Do you see what I see?” My dad used to ask leadership questions like that. He’d say relative to something he was explaining- “Do you follow me?” And I have said to my son no less than a thousand times, “Do you understand what I’m saying?” And I’ve heard him say to his young son, “Does that make sense?” All of this is a grand invitation to imagine! In other words, don’t just “understand” or “stand under” me, but stand on me and describe to me what you see. With this new layer of imagination, although true to its original values, the vision has now been enlarged! When a vision continues to get revitalized, the new imagining generation will protect what it has helped project.
4. Communicate effectively – Say the intentions and expectations specifically. This is similar to, but different than the first essential, “Show.” The first essential is founded on exemplary methods of seeing it done and then doing it. The communication I’m referring to here is distinct, definitive, clear, explicit, and exact. Often written, sometimes memorized, frequently stated in private, and reiterated in public.
My son, Marcus, now the Lead Pastor of our church, was in college when I was in aviation school learning to fly. I shared the pilot protocol with him: when two pilots communicate who the PIC (pilot in command) is. The conversation over the headsets goes something like this-
“You have the plane,” says the left-seat pilot.
“I have the plane,” says the right-seat pilot.
“You have the plane,” the left-seat pilot emphatically affirms.
It is clearly stated no less than three times who is in charge. Absolutely no assumptions when so much is at stake! The wise man said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits” (Proverbs 18:21).
As we have transitioned from my leadership to his, Marcus and I have utilized this protocol religiously, both in private and in front of our Riverpark Church family. In fact, I believe in it so much that he and I just ordered two identical designer watches. Engraved on his elegant timepiece are the words “My plane,” and on mine, “Your plane.” I never want him, nor anyone, to doubt who’s in charge. This kind of rhetorical communication is critical.
Crafting a Lasting Legacy
Just because they are family doesn’t ensure they have the proverbial baton. Crafting lasting legacy requires more than just familial connections; it demands intentional investment in the growth and development of those who will inherit it. Just as Joseph, through his wisdom and stewardship, secured a future for his family in Egypt (Genesis 45:7-11), our actions today shape the opportunities and challenges our descendants will face tomorrow.
In contemporary terms, businesses and organizations grapple with fostering healthy generational transfer without falling into nepotism. The key to “Legacy on Purpose” lies in aligning organizational values with personal virtues and ensuring that succession planning emphasizes merit and capability alongside familial ties.
As I reflect on that first job application and the curiosity it sparked, I realize that the question of relatives in the workplace wasn’t just about connections—it was about heritage, trust, and the enduring impact of intentional generational transfer. By embracing the principles of integrity, instruction, and vision found in Scripture and echoed in timeless wisdom communicated, we can navigate the complexities of legacy on purpose, ensuring that what we pass down is not just a name or a position, but a heritage worthy of emulation and admiration.
Finally, whether it’s our families, communities, or organizations, the artistry of generational transfer resides in our unwavering commitment to lead by example, to envision and allow imagination beyond ourselves, and to communicate our intentions with crystalline clarity. As we purposefully craft our legacy, let us embrace the timeless wisdom of ages past. There is no reason to be penned down with the yoke of nepotism, but we should participate in the covenant of grace.
May you continue to hear with your spiritual ears words that seem to drip within the halls of history, words that bespeak the very character of God’s image, and words that keep telling you who God is and what he has planned for your future.
Listen to these words-
“Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9).
“For the promise is to you and your children …” (Acts 2:39).
People can stumble into wealth, possessions, fame, or any number of things.
No one ever stumbles into a legacy. It happens on purpose.
