EDITORIAL:
Exercise faithful Christian stewardship: Make your will
___Sometimes, immediate actions carry eternal consequences. The paramount eternal moment in anyone's life, of course, is the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Others include weddings, births, starting and completing education, accepting a new job, moving to a new place. You can think of actions you've taken that changed everything.
___Another immediate action with eternal consequences--one that, unfortunately, many Christians avoid--is the decision to make a will. Some people admit they are spooked by the prospect of writing a will; the contemplation of their own mortality frightens them. Others don't want to make choices about dividing their assets among the people they love. And some don't want to spend the money to pay a lawyer to help them plan their estate.
___However, failure to make a will can be costly. First, failure to draft a will is financially expensive. You may not know it, but you already have a will. If you don't make one yourself, the state will implement one for you. And few people ever have said the state's way of disposing of their assets is the best way. The people you love surely will not benefit by implementing the state's will for you as opposed to one you would prepare. Second, failure to draft a will is spiritually costly. When you thoughtfully, prayerfully make a will, you are blessed. Preparing a will is an act of stewardship, like tithing and utilizing all the gifts God has given you. When you exercise that right, you practice spiritual discipline by participating with God in allocating the physical resources God has allowed you to manage in your lifetime.
___January is Make Your Will Month, a focus promoted this year by the Texas Baptist Missions Foundation. Perhaps your church has distributed "Make Your Will Month" bulletin inserts prepared by the missions foundation. This emphasis, like other activities of the foundation, is designed to help Texas Baptists exercise wise stewardship of God's gifts.
___Christians should take several steps in planning to distribute their assets, advises Bill Arnold, executive director of the missions foundation. The foundation suggests this process:
___ "Decide to get started." Your will truly can be your "witness and testimony," and the Lord should be your partner as you plan for the future.
___ "Make a list of all your assets." This is the cornerstone of your task, recognizing what is yours to distribute. In addition to personal items, this includes everything jointly owned by you and your spouse.
___ "Decide how to use those assets to best honor the Lord." As you make provision for your surviving spouse, children and other family, you practice thoughtful, disciplined, careful love. In your will, you also can provide support for other people or causes you hold dear. Many people include their churches and ministry causes in their wills. The missions foundation can show you how you can both care for your family and make a charitable gift.
___ "Determine who will be your executor." The executor is responsible for making certain the stipulations of your will are completed. An executor can be an individual or an institution. The missions foundation suggests selecting an alternate in case your first choice cannot serve.
___ "If you have minor children, name a guardian." The other parent normally would be the guardian, but a well-written will should provide for the extreme circumstance that neither parent is able to care for the children.
___ "Get an attorney to put all this in writing." Rather than seeing this as an expense, look at it as the best way to keep down the long-term costs. Attorney's fees for drafting a will are inexpensive compared to legal fees that could add up if you die without preparing your will. Ask friends or your minister for recommendations. And don't be afraid to ask the attorney about costs.
___ "Focus on the details." You need to see the will through to the end, making certain all steps are completed. Missions foundation officers can tell stories about people who spent a lot of money on numerous documents that detailed various plans and yet the process was thwarted because they didn't sign the documents, designate an insurance beneficiary, fund a trust or complete other details involved in the will.
___ "Plan to review your will at least every three to five years." Wills need to be updated to accommodate the changing circumstances in your life. For example, your will would need to be updated because of the birth or adoption of a child, the death of someone named in your will, the marriage or divorce of a beneficiary cited in the will, your move to another state, tax- or estate-law changes, an increase in your estate value approaching or exceeding $1 million, or a significant change in your assets or employment status.
___ "Enjoy peace of mind." This feeling is a personal result of exercising responsible stewardship and caring for your loved ones and causes you hold dear.
___The Texas Baptist Missions Foundation can send you materials and provide free advice to help you plan your will. Call (800) 558-8263, e-mail tbmf@bgct.org or write to 333 North Washington, Dallas 75246-1798.
___ —Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook