All of us are going to die. We need to be prepared. These are hard realities, and incredibly important.
Some time ago, I asked Ben Hoersch—who leads our financial counseling ministry—to prepare a list of 10 things (in addition to surrendering to Jesus) every man needs to do in order to prepare to die. From this we hope that our men would be faithful stewards of what God has given to them. Here’s Ben’s top 10…
Things you should prepare before you die:
- Last will and testament
- Life insurance policies with instructions on who to call (make sure your beneficiaries are up to date.)
- Durable power of attorney
- Living will (health care power of attorney)
- List of bank accounts with phone numbers and online instructions (checking, savings, loans, etc.)
- List of investments with phone numbers and online instructions (Roth IRA, 401k, 403b, 529’s, etc.)
- File with legal documents (marriage license, vehicle and/or property deeds, stock certificates, tax returns)
- Copy of budget and list of bills (monthly, semiannually, annually)
- Safe deposit box details (list of contacts: pediatrician, lawyer, financial advisor, babysitters, etc.)
- Medical information (children’s history of immunizations, allergies, etc.)
All of these documents should be readily accessible and ready to be handed off to the executor of the estate or a trusted individual who can assist while the surviving family members grieve.
The whole document is here.
As a pastor, I’ve been in two types of rooms following the death of a husband. I’ve sat with a grieving widow whose husband had prepared these things. Her heart was broken. Her life was dramatically changed. But, her husband had faithfully provided for her even in his death. She recognized that and was grateful.
I’ve also sat with a widow whose husband did not do these things: No life insurance, no copy of budget, no direction left for her if he were to die. And her last thoughts of her husband were “He didn’t take care of me.” Both of those rooms are hard. One of them is devastating.
Men, we should reflect Jesus in our role as husband. Jesus labored to provide for his Bride in his death. He did not leave her without a plan or a promise. Rather, He died to provide for her. We should reflect Jesus in this as we make provisions for our families. Please don’t be lazy in this.
We should reflect Jesus…as we make provisions for our families.
If you would like more information about this or help with this, please let us know. This is no small matter. Prepare to die.
