The Prophet Isaiah was instructed by God to give a specific message to King Hezekiah. It included the words: “Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live” (2 Kings 20:1). Clearly, God expects us to take reasonable measures to set our houses in order in preparation for death. Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children ….” This requires planning.

The Apostle Paul taught, “[I]f any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). This is true in life and in death. Our wealth and property are blessings from God, and as good stewards we should make at least minimal arrangements for how our blessings will be distributed after we die to ensure our family is provided for. This also requires planning to ensure those wishes are carried out.

First you have to decide exactly what you want to happen with your assets after death. Make a list of all you have, including checking and savings accounts, investments, insurance policies and your physical possessions.

If you are married, your spouse will most likely be the focus of your thinking. If not, you may have children, brothers or sisters, parents or friends you want to receive some or all of your estate. Many people include charities or other organizations they feel are worthwhile.

To ensure that plan is carried out, at the very minimum, a person should make a will. However, a far better tool to ensure that your heirs receive what you want them to have is a revocable living trust. This is especially important if you think some of your heirs may challenge your will or if it might be considered controversial—for example, if you decide to leave a large portion to a charity. This will greatly reduce the risk of your estate being challenged in court and your assets being disposed of in ways you do not intend.

Avoiding court will also save your heirs a lot of time and money. Once an estate is in court (as wills are required to be), everything is at the mercy of the legal system. Courts can essentially do whatever they want to do, and the costs and delays can be massive.

If you have dependent children, you will still need to have a will to designate who will look after them. If this is not legally documented, the state will determine who will raise your children.

Another tool available to people in the United States (that may not be available in other countries) for distribution of such things as savings accounts, certificates of deposit, checking accounts, money market accounts, mutual funds, most stock or bond accounts, and various other “cash”-type assets is the “payable on death” benefit. This is free to do and just requires a trip to your bank. If you are married and have joint accounts, it requires that both of you die before it is activated.

If you choose to make an organization the beneficiary upon your death, you may be asked to provide the federal tax number when setting up the payable-on-death benefit. Contact that organization to get its proper address and tax number. Be sure to list the institution by name and address, the account type, account number and any other instructions the bank may provide.

When storing documents to leave behind in the event of your death, do not put them in a safe deposit box. Sometimes such boxes are sealed upon the owner’s death, thereby denying access by trustees or executors and forcing the estate into the courts. Keep them in a fireproof, safe location at home, and make sure you tell someone where to find them. It may also be a good idea to give a copy of your estate papers to the person who would receive the trust upon your death.

These tools—a will, revocable living trust and payable-on-death benefit—can be used to ensure your house is in order and you are providing for your own as instructed by God’s Word. It will also provide you with some peace of mind knowing that your assets will go where you want them to go when you die.