The 25th anniversary of 9/11 on Friday was a sober reminder of that horrific day. It also reminded me that life can change in an instant. Thousands of New York City workers, along with police officers and firefighters, never came home.
In 2 Kings, Isaiah urgently told King Hezekiah, "Set your house in order, for you shall die." Those words should ring in our ears as well. Setting our houses in order is essential to Christian stewardship because we will all die someday.
Creating an orderly end-of-life plan is also one of the most loving acts we can do for those we leave behind.
Practical applications
SMI has often written about crucial planning tasks that will serve your family — having a will or trust, naming beneficiaries for your retirement accounts, and crafting a "letter of intent" that communicates non-legal matters to your family members, such as funeral instructions and the legacy of faith you wish to leave behind. We've even encouraged you to take the excellent small-group study Set Your House in Order from Compass–Finances God’s Way
A few weeks ago, I found out that my church has put together a funeral-service planning guide for parishioners. It helpfully provides the full text of suggested Scripture readings for funerals, and also lists appropriate hymns. Last week, I met with my pastor to discuss the options and make my selections. With his help, I also chose a few time-honored prayers appropriate for use at funerals. In addition, I consulted with my church music director about the music I had chosen.
With that funeral-service planning document now complete and filed in the church office, I am confident that my funeral — whenever it may occur — will exalt Jesus Christ in both word and music. To borrow words from Hebrews 11, I hope that through my well-planned funeral, "he being dead yet speaketh" (Hebrews 11:4).
To be honest, trying to set my house in order has taken much time and diligence! I still have tasks to complete, but ultimately I want to create a clear plan so that when death comes — even if unexpected — legal matters will be settled quickly, beneficiaries will be provided for, and my wife, sons, and pastor will know the steps to take regarding funeral arrangements and burial.
Preparing and trusting
In a fallen world, unforeseen and difficult circumstances arise. Sometimes even tragic things. We certainly saw that 25 years ago. As the writer of Ecclesiastes counsels, "You do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth" (Ecclesiastes 11:2).
Of course, we can't prepare for everything that might happen in life, but we can prepare for our death, which will come someday. Some people think preparing for death is morbid, but I suggest it is simply a humble recognition of what Scripture tells us: "We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it" (1 Timothy 6:7).
But, thanks be to God, death does not have the final word! That same 1 Timothy passage offers encouragement to those who set their hope on God, are rich in good works, and are generous: "They are...storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life" (1 Timothy 6:18-19 ESV). What a wonderful passage to have read at a funeral!
Questions for you: Are you setting your house in order? Have you made end-of-life plans (will, beneficiary designations, etc.)? Have you made funeral arrangements and discussed them with your spouse and children (if applicable)? Have you consulted with your pastor and music director?
