Genesis 25:9-10 describes the end of Abraham's journey here on earth. His sons laid him to rest beside his beloved wife, Sarah, in a burial site that Abraham had purchased earlier. As the text illustrates, Abraham was prepared for his death, which made it less of a burden for his sons.
Many of us choose not to think about the ends of our lives, even though death is inevitable. But Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:2 that there is "a time to be born and a time to die." (NIV) Paul also tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that man is destined to die once." (NIV)
Knowing this, we should be willing to be more proactive about this phase of our lives. As Isaiah shared with Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die."
Alleviate the burden on our families
The average funeral costs between $8,000 and $10,000. Most families do not have this type of cash readily available. This can be confirmed by the numerous times we have witnessed families and friends holding car washes in our neighborhoods on weekends, hoping to raise enough money to properly bury their loved ones.
There are many ways to help alleviate this burden on our families. We will briefly consider three options.
1) Prepaying funeral expenses. Many funeral homes will allow us to arrange and pay for our funeral services in advance. Oftentimes, paying in advance will allow us the opportunity to lock in the expense so that no additional money will be needed at the time of the actual funeral.
2) Buying burial insurance. Burial insurance policies are similar to life insurance policies, but there are two main differences. The benefit amount of a burial insurance policy is lower because it is purchased to cover the costs of the funeral. Many of these policies are also purchased without a medical exam. The applicant does not need to be in the best of health to get the coverage.
3) Using a traditional life insurance policy. Our loved ones can also use a portion of our life insurance death benefit to help cover the costs of the funeral. The one challenge to consider is that each life insurance company is different, and payout may not come as quickly as needed. This is especially the case if the cause of death is questionable and leads to an investigation. The payout can be delayed until the investigation is finished.
Remove all fear
Another step in getting prepared is removing the biggest obstacle that most of us deal with: fear. God knew our weak, human minds, though, and commented on our issue of fear in many Bible verses.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are reminded that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (NKJV)
We can also turn to David's example in the popular Psalm 23. David knew that God is ever-present. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4 NIV)
In addition to knowing that God is with us, we can also remind ourselves that this death is only a natural death. We will transition on to an eternal life with God. John tells us that "a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." (John 5:28-29 NIV)
Procrastination may delay our dealing with issues that make us uncomfortable, but there will come a time where it can no longer be put off. If we don't take care of it, our survivors will have to deal with it while they are in mourning. Let's not allow the enemy to turn our fear into paralysis.
by: Ozeme J Bonnette
Ozeme J. Bonnette is a financial coach, speaker, and author of Get What Belongs to You: A Christian Guide to Managing Your Finances. Her focus is on increasing financial literacy among adults and youth around the U.S. She earned 3 Bachelor's degrees at Fresno State, and her MBA at UCLA's Anderson School.
Many of us choose not to think about the ends of our lives, even though death is inevitable. But Solomon reminds us in Ecclesiastes 3:2 that there is "a time to be born and a time to die." (NIV) Paul also tells us in Hebrews 9:27 that man is destined to die once." (NIV)
Knowing this, we should be willing to be more proactive about this phase of our lives. As Isaiah shared with Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:1, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die."
Alleviate the burden on our families
The average funeral costs between $8,000 and $10,000. Most families do not have this type of cash readily available. This can be confirmed by the numerous times we have witnessed families and friends holding car washes in our neighborhoods on weekends, hoping to raise enough money to properly bury their loved ones.
There are many ways to help alleviate this burden on our families. We will briefly consider three options.
1) Prepaying funeral expenses. Many funeral homes will allow us to arrange and pay for our funeral services in advance. Oftentimes, paying in advance will allow us the opportunity to lock in the expense so that no additional money will be needed at the time of the actual funeral.
2) Buying burial insurance. Burial insurance policies are similar to life insurance policies, but there are two main differences. The benefit amount of a burial insurance policy is lower because it is purchased to cover the costs of the funeral. Many of these policies are also purchased without a medical exam. The applicant does not need to be in the best of health to get the coverage.
3) Using a traditional life insurance policy. Our loved ones can also use a portion of our life insurance death benefit to help cover the costs of the funeral. The one challenge to consider is that each life insurance company is different, and payout may not come as quickly as needed. This is especially the case if the cause of death is questionable and leads to an investigation. The payout can be delayed until the investigation is finished.
Remove all fear
Another step in getting prepared is removing the biggest obstacle that most of us deal with: fear. God knew our weak, human minds, though, and commented on our issue of fear in many Bible verses.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are reminded that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (NKJV)
We can also turn to David's example in the popular Psalm 23. David knew that God is ever-present. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4 NIV)
In addition to knowing that God is with us, we can also remind ourselves that this death is only a natural death. We will transition on to an eternal life with God. John tells us that "a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned." (John 5:28-29 NIV)
Procrastination may delay our dealing with issues that make us uncomfortable, but there will come a time where it can no longer be put off. If we don't take care of it, our survivors will have to deal with it while they are in mourning. Let's not allow the enemy to turn our fear into paralysis.
by: Ozeme J Bonnette
Ozeme J. Bonnette is a financial coach, speaker, and author of Get What Belongs to You: A Christian Guide to Managing Your Finances. Her focus is on increasing financial literacy among adults and youth around the U.S. She earned 3 Bachelor's degrees at Fresno State, and her MBA at UCLA's Anderson School.
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