‘All things come of thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.’
How often do we really appreciate God’s overwhelming generosity to each one of us? God gave us all that we have and all that we are; our wealth and possessions, our family and friends, our health, the earth to live on, the air to breathe; even his Son Jesus.
We are to enjoy these gifts: ‘When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work— this is a gift of God (Eccles. 5:19).’ But Ecclesiastes also teaches us to look after – steward – these gifts carefully: ‘I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.’
Hoarding wealth is pointless and harmful. Read Jesus’ parable of the Rich Fool which shows that a rich relationship with God is more important than riches in the bank and reflect on ‘treasures in heaven’ in Matthew 6. But that doesn’t answer how we should use – and pass on - the earthly riches entrusted to us. A selection of verses from the Bible here suggest that we should use these riches (think of the parable of the talents) for our families, for the work of the Church, for those in need, and for thanksgiving.
If we do genuinely see ourselves as God’s stewards, entrusted to use His gifts to us for the good of our families, the Church, the needy and in thanksgiving, we should also take Will-writing seriously – setting God’s affairs in order and stewarding them wisely to the end of our time on earth and beyond.
How you divide up your estate is of course your own decision, but do consider it prayerfully and in consultation with your loved ones and any professional advisers you feel appropriate.
You might like to consider dividing your estate into ‘shares’ rather than specific cash amounts. This is in keeping with the Church’s teaching on stewardship and has practical as well as theological strengths. Click here for more on this.
