The Uniqueness Principle: Rethinking Inheritance with Ron Blue

Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet once wrote, “Wisdom without an inheritance is better than an inheritance without wisdom.”

Every parent hopes the resources they leave behind will bless their children. But a financial inheritance can have very different effects depending on the person receiving it. That is why wise wealth transfer requires more than simply deciding how much to leave—it requires careful thought, prayer, and an understanding of each child’s unique circumstances.

Ron Blue, co-founder of Kingdom Advisors and longtime teacher on biblical stewardship, calls this the uniqueness principle.

Equal Love Doesn’t Always Require Equal Treatment

Studies show that many parents divide their estates equally among their children. There is certainly nothing wrong with that approach, but Ron encourages parents not to make equality the automatic default.

As he explains, God loves each of His children equally, but He often treats them uniquely. The same can be true within a family.

Children may grow up in the same home and sit around the same dinner table, yet adulthood can take them in very different directions. They may marry differently, parent differently, pursue different careers, experience job losses, accumulate different levels of wealth, or develop very different approaches to money.

Those differences can matter when determining how an inheritance should be passed down.

The question is not simply, “How can I divide everything evenly?” A better question may be, “How can I steward these resources in a way that truly benefits each child?”

Three Questions to Ask Before Leaving an Inheritance

When Ron and his wife, Judy, began thinking seriously about their own estate plan, they used three questions to evaluate what an inheritance might mean for each of their five children.

1. What is the worst thing that could happen?