Editor's Note: This article was originally written by the late Larry Burkett. It has been revised by Andres Panasiuk, DD, Crown Senior Vice President, Latin America.

“Every time I think about the concept of inheritance, I get hives and my whole body itches.” A woman said this to me during one of my trips in the southern United States. Though I’ve counseled with hundreds of people, I can count with the fingers of one hand the number of positive experiences I’ve heard about the inheritance issue.

However, the Word of God tells us, “children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2 Corinthians 12:14). (This is a good example of a verse your children don’t need to memorize yet!) Paul also stated clearly that, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

So whether we have much or little, now or later (and now is better than later) you and I need to plan how we will provide for our family when the Lord calls us home.

Latin American people, like many others around the world, are naturally fearful of death. Our indigenous ancestors worshiped the dead, and our Hispanic and Muslim ancestors also had weird ideas about life before and after death. Our culture tends to live for the day, knowing that “tomorrow brings its own anxiety.”

Nevertheless, culture and tradition are not good enough excuses for us to leave a pile of headaches for our family on the day we go to be with Jesus Christ. We want to transfer blessings to them, not avoidable burdens.

I remember the sad story of a man who died suddenly in his dining room. His body had to stay in that room for four days because no funeral home would bury him without being paid at least half in advance. The man had no insurance, and the widow had no money to pay for the funeral. So he was left there until the church collected the money and paid the funeral director. Is that a pity? No, it isn’t! It is irresponsibility! With a very small percentage of his salary, this man could have bought life insurance that would have provided for all the funeral expenses and more.

God has made you and me to be managers not only of our own lives but also of our spouse’s and children’s lives. They are not ours; they belong to the Lord, who has given them to us for care and protection. We should not be irresponsible with such a trust. Here is some helpful advice for preparing your family for your departure.

Preparing the Spouse
Statistics vary from country to country, but generally, men have a higher probability of preceding their wife in death. Prepare your wife and keep her informed regarding your finances and any business you operate. The Old Testament provided for the protection of widows by mandating that they become the wife of their late husband’s brother or nearest relative. That resolved many issues (and probably raised a few others). It clearly doesn’t apply today.

Of course, there are no guarantees that the wife will outlive the husband. Both need to ask, “If I died today, how would my spouse survive? Does he (or she) have a profession or career? Do we have a business together, some investments? Do I have life insurance that could provide income? How much will she (or he) need each month to maintain our lifestyle?” (Seventy-five percent of your present income is a reasonable average, but don’t forget to adjust for future inflation.) 

Then write a letter and put it in a big envelope along with other legal papers that your spouse will need. Include instructions the following instructions.

• Do not make serious changes or financial decisions for at least one year.
• Do not make emotional decisions.
• Get counsel from others in whom you have confidence. Discuss this with them and with your spouse in advance if possible.
• Encourage your spouse in the Lord.

Make a list of the legal papers you have placed in the envelope and explain to your husband or wife in detail what needs to be done with each one. Writing all of this may be boring to you now, but when a person is going through the emotional shock of losing a spouse, the individual needs clear and exact instructions, step by step. More than one inheritance has been squandered because the surviving spouse didn’t know how to manage a business profitably or how to sell it for income.

Finally, make a list of all the people your spouse should contact before, during, and after the funeral. Write their names, addresses, phone numbers, and whatever commitment they made to help the family. It is not a hardship to talk to a relative or a good friend and request that they take responsibility for specific aspects of a family’s transition in the loss of a spouse: someone to take care of the funeral details; someone else to take care of the life insurance process; someone to help with details of the will or other legal documents; someone qualified to be the family financial counselor, and so forth.

A man who loves his wife should be committed to take care of her and protect her before and after his death. Likewise, a wife who loves her husband should be committed to making his transition to life without her as smooth as possible. The Bible say, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” and “the wife must respect her husband” (Ephesians 5:25, 33). Let’s be responsible with the love of our life.

Preparing the children
If it is legal in your country to make a will to avoid taxes and streamline the settlement of your estate, do it! In the United States, 80 percent die without a will, getting their families involved in what can be an expensive and time-consuming legal process.

Approximately $2.5 billion goes to the US government treasury every year because nobody knows the legal ownership of the bank accounts or possessions. And as ridiculous as it may seem, even 90 percent of lawyers die without a proper will!

Take a little time to investigate in your own city how to open a trust fund or legal arrangement for transferring your property to your spouse and heirs with maximum benefit at minimum expense. Legal documents will also assist you in directing your loved ones with regard to extreme care or life-prolonging medical treatment in the event you become incapacitated and cannot express your wishes. 

Some believe they don’t have enough goods to worry about making a will or opening a trust fund. But merely owning your house is sufficient reason to make a legal document.

In many countries, parents are not allowed to make a will or decide what they will leave to their children. This often leads to family quarrels and tension. We recommend that you write a letter—even if your country does not recognize or enforce a will—and state how you want your inheritance to be managed. Ask your heirs to honor your memory by obeying your request. In this way, you can transfer your earthly possessions in a way that glorifies the Lord.

If you have young children, it is important to talk to a trusted relative or friend who will be their guardian in case Mom and Dad die at the same time. This will keep your children from becoming like tennis balls that bounce from one relative to another until the custody or guardianship process is finalized. By stating your wishes in a will, your heirs, relatives, and friends will avoid many headaches.

Finally, keep your children informed (as much as possible) of your financial affairs. They should know what mattress you stuff your savings in—otherwise they may burn it when cleaning the house after the funeral! They should know who owes you money and whom you owe. Your life insurance should be enough to pay for all of your debts and your children’s education until they are eighteen years old.

The same envelope you prepared for your spouse’s benefit can be used for your children. Make sure they know where you keep it.

Planning your inheritance and what happens after your death is not pleasant, but then again not all responsibilities are pleasant. Some just serve to help us avoid something much worse.