Passing Wisdom Before Wealth with Dr. Kelly Rush | FaithFi
October 1, 2026
Passing Wisdom Before Wealth with Dr. Kelly Rush
Faith & Finance with Rob West
What will you leave to the next generation—and will they be prepared to steward it well?
A faithful wealth transfer involves more than deciding who gets what. It means thinking carefully about the people who will receive those resources and whether they have the wisdom, maturity, and spiritual foundation to handle them faithfully.
Dr. Kelly Rush, Professor of Finance, Financial Planning Program Coordinator, and Chair of Business and Technology at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, points to David and Solomon as a compelling biblical example. Rush, who also serves on the board of Kingdom Advisors, says David did more than accumulate resources for his son. He prepared Solomon for both great wealth and great responsibility.
David knew Solomon would eventually build the temple in Jerusalem. So before transferring tremendous resources, David helped prepare his son for the work ahead.
His example offers families four important principles for thinking about wealth transfer today.
What will you leave to the next generation—and will they be prepared to steward it well?
A faithful wealth transfer involves more than deciding who gets what. It means thinking carefully about the people who will receive those resources and whether they have the wisdom, maturity, and spiritual foundation to handle them faithfully.
Dr. Kelly Rush, Professor of Finance, Financial Planning Program Coordinator, and Chair of Business and Technology at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, points to David and Solomon as a compelling biblical example. Rush, who also serves on the board of Kingdom Advisors, says David did more than accumulate resources for his son. He prepared Solomon for both great wealth and great responsibility.
David knew Solomon would eventually build the temple in Jerusalem. So before transferring tremendous resources, David helped prepare his son for the work ahead.
His example offers families four important principles for thinking about wealth transfer today.
1. Pursue Unity Before Making a Plan
The first principle is unity: husbands and wives should agree on their plans for transferring wealth.
We see this in 1 Kings 1. As David neared the end of his life, his son Adonijah attempted to establish himself as king. Bathsheba approached David and reminded him of the commitment concerning Solomon. David acted, and Solomon was publicly established as his successor.
For families today, the circumstances are obviously very different, but the underlying principle remains valuable. Parents should work toward a shared vision for what they hope their wealth will accomplish and how it will eventually be distributed.
That unity can clarify the plan for the entire family. Children and other heirs are less likely to receive conflicting messages when parents have already worked through difficult questions together.
Before asking, “How much should we leave?” couples may need to begin with a more fundamental question: “Are we united about what we hope this wealth will accomplish?”
2. Transfer Wisdom Before Wealth
Assets will eventually change hands. The larger question is whether wisdom will accompany them.
David understood that Solomon needed more than resources. He needed spiritual and practical preparation.
David prayed that God would give Solomon wisdom and understanding, and he personally instructed his son to know the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly. He also gave Solomon detailed plans for the temple and prepared him for the responsibilities he would inherit.
In other words, David did not simply leave Solomon a fortune and expect him to figure things out.
Parents today have a similar opportunity. Children and grandchildren can be taught biblical principles of stewardship alongside practical financial skills such as budgeting, saving, giving, investing, and making wise decisions.
The goal is not merely to prepare assets for heirs. It is to prepare heirs for assets.
That preparation may begin long before an inheritance is in view. Younger children can learn to manage small amounts of money and decide how to give. Teenagers can take on greater financial responsibilities. Adult children can increasingly participate in conversations about family resources, generosity, and long-term plans.
Wealth without wisdom can create significant challenges. But when wisdom comes first, financial resources can become another tool the next generation is prepared to steward faithfully.
3. Consider Readiness, Not Just Age
David recognized something important about Solomon: he was “young and inexperienced” (1 Chronicles 22:5).
So David prepared him gradually. He imparted wisdom. He supplied practical plans and instructions. Eventually, Solomon received the resources he needed.
Families today can also think carefully about both the timing and amount of wealth they transfer.
No universal age marks when someone suddenly becomes ready for significant financial responsibility. Parents should consider an heir’s spiritual, emotional, and financial maturity rather than relying on age alone.
Where gaps exist, they can become opportunities for further preparation.
That may mean gradually increasing responsibility over time. In some situations, families may use joint accounts while younger heirs learn to manage money. For larger inheritances, trusts or trustee oversight may provide both protection and an opportunity for continued growth in stewardship.
Communication is also essential. Heirs should not necessarily be surprised by a family’s wealth-transfer plan after a parent dies. Appropriate conversations ahead of time can allow children to understand their parents’ intentions, ask questions, seek wisdom, and prepare for future responsibility.
And those plans do not have to remain static. As children mature and circumstances change, parents can revisit their plans accordingly.
4. Give Wealth a Purpose Beyond Yourself
David accumulated extraordinary resources for the temple, drawing from both Israel’s treasury and his personal wealth.
Yet David would never build it himself. God had given that responsibility to Solomon.
David could have looked at that limitation and decided the project was no longer his concern. Instead, he prepared extensively for something another generation would complete.
That offers an important perspective on stewardship. We cannot take our possessions with us when we die, but we can thoughtfully use them while we are here in ways that bless others and support work that continues beyond our lifetime.
For families, that may include making generosity part of family life now rather than waiting until an estate is distributed.
Parents might invite children into giving decisions, support ministries together, or develop a family mission statement that expresses the values they hope will continue into future generations. Some families may also incorporate charitable gifts or trusts into their estate plans.
The specific tools will vary. The deeper goal is to cultivate a family culture in which wealth is understood as something God entrusted, not merely something to consume or accumulate.
Use Financial Resources to Build Something Greater
Rush has seen this principle at work in her own family. She and her husband have used financial resources to take their children on family mission trips, giving them opportunities to serve together and learn to share the gospel.
Those experiences illustrate an important possibility: financial capital can sometimes develop something far more important—spiritual maturity, relationships, wisdom, and a vision for serving others.
For parents, that raises a worthwhile question: How might the resources God has entrusted to us today help prepare the people who may steward them tomorrow?
The answer will look different for every family. But the biblical pattern reminds us that wealth transfer is not simply an estate-planning event at the end of life. It is an ongoing process of teaching, communicating, preparing, and modeling faithful stewardship.
David prepared resources for Solomon, but he also prepared Solomon for the resources. That may be one of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation.
On Today’s Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:
My bank is being acquired, and the new bank has limited in-network ATM access when I travel. I’m considering switching to an online bank with a larger nationwide ATM network. What should I look for?
I’m 40 and have three old 401(k)s from previous employers. Some advisors suggest consolidating them into one account with expected returns around 8% to 10%, while another is proposing a hedge fund targeting 15% to 17%. How should I evaluate these options?
My daughter is in her 50s and currently incarcerated. When she comes home, she’ll have no income, no car, and significant credit card debt, though she owns her home outright. Should she consider bankruptcy, and what's the best way to address her debts?
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