I’m Young. Do I Really Need a Will?
Writing a will can be time-consuming—and expensive! And, who wants to think about death at this age? Besides, I don’t have anything to give away in a will.
Right?
Well, let’s see if there’s more to consider.
As soon as you’re legally an adult, you can have a say in what happens to everything you leave behind after the Lord calls you home. Drafting a will is the way to have your say. And since only God knows the number of our days, we should prepare ourselves!
If you were to die without a will, the state would decide what happens to your possessions. This includes court involvement and can take a long time. What would your family go through during the many months (or years) it takes for the courts to sort everything out? Leaving a will gives your family assurance of how to work through your assets while they navigate their grief.
You may not have children 👨👩👧👦 or a home 🏡, but do you own a vehicle? 🚗 Do you have a pet? 🐕 Something sentimental? A will is especially important if you want a say in who gets your car, your dog, or anything that’s meaningful to you. Your will can accomplish a lot of specific requests, such as providing instructions for what assets to sell to provide the funds needed to care for your pet, and exactly what that care should include.
In this modern age, writing a will no longer has to be time-consuming or expensive, especially when your assets are straightforward.
Do you have email or social media accounts? 👩💻What happens to those if you unexpectedly pass away? By drafting a will, you can name a Digital Asset Executor who has exclusive access to those accounts. You may want your social media account to continue as a legacy account, or you may want to have it deactivated. You may want photos saved on your computer sent to certain people. A will allows you to choose what happens instead of letting someone else make decisions you may not agree with.
Do you dream about making gifts to charity 🎁 but don’t have a lot of funds right now? Drafting your will to include a charitable distribution is a great way to make an impact long after Jesus calls you home. It’s often the opportunity to make our largest gift to Kingdom work. Leaving money to friends and family could mean the state would get a cut through taxes; however, leaving money to non-profits means that all of that amount would go exactly where you chose.
Alright, so having a will is important, but what about all the red tape? In this modern age, writing a will no longer has to be time-consuming or expensive, especially when your assets are straightforward. There are many low-cost or even free tools available to help you draft a comprehensive will, and in most states, you only need two witnesses and a notary to make the document legal! This means it’s also easy to review and change your will as your assets grow and your life situation evolves.
We can also reframe how we think about preparing for death. God has given instructions in His Word to take care of our families, widows, and orphans, and to be faithful stewards of all that has been entrusted to us. Being a good steward is a lifelong journey, and therefore includes being prepared to transfer that stewardship and leave resources to care for those God has placed in our lives. How wonderful it is to be able to use a will to steward God’s resources and accomplish His will!
If you’d like help setting up a will, contact Orchard Alliance’s Gift and Estate Design team at 833.672.4255 or willplanning@orchardalliance.org.
Faith & Finance Perspective: Read Matthew 25:1-13.
What is Jesus trying to teach us in the Parable of the 10 Virgins?
What motivated the five wise ones to make sure they were prepared for the return of the Bridegroom?
What reasons might the foolish ones have given for their ill-preparedness?
How might this parable apply to our financial readiness as stewards of what He has entrusted to us?