GUEST CORNER

Have You Put Your Wishes in Writing?

Written by Guy Burgo: Vice President for Estate and Gift Design Services, Orchard Alliance

The Ten Commandments and the Bible make it obvious that the Lord places a great emphasis on putting important agreements in writing. The important agreements we put in writing include marriage licenses, loan agreements, business contracts, and more. But when it comes to writing our Last Will and Testament, we tend to put it off year after year.

Having Christian wills that legally provide for our loved ones is an important act of stewardship that believers often overlook. Most Christians think of writing a will as simply a legal process. However, when we stop to consider that God is the owner of all (Psalm 24:1), our perspective should change. We need to recognize that our wills are the legal documents that transfer stewardship of everything the Lord has entrusted to us. This fact is why we should not only stop putting off this responsibility but also bathe the process in prayer and consider biblical principles when designing our wills.

When writing a will, we should consider several biblical concepts, such as:

• It’s important to have our houses in order (2 Kings 20:1).

• We are to take care of parents and grandparents (1 Timothy 5:4).

• We are called to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8).

• God wants us to be generous (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

• Our children shouldn’t get too much too soon (Proverbs 20:21).

So I hope you will take the time to be a good steward of your family and the possessions God has entrusted to you by writing your will or trust from a biblical perspective. If you need assistance with this process or estate planning, please feel free to contact us at service@orchardalliance.org or call us at 719.268.7202.

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2)