This guest post is from Rebecca Emmanuel, Regent Law 3L and FA 2020 Wills, Trusts & Estates student:
Psalms 118:17 says, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the
works of the LORD.” Proverbs 18:21 states that “death and life are in the power
of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” Both verses
have to do with life and death and among other verses in the bible contribute
to the belief that the way we act, the things we say especially have the power
to bring things into existence. Even non-bible-believing folks can relate to
these principles because they understand how speaking and thinking positively
affects our existence.
The precarious notion that
speaking-ill-thoughts-wills-them-into-existence has almost become an excuse to
avoid making a will or a medical directive. It has created the superstition
that if a person makes a will or writes up an advance directive then he or she
will fulfill that forecast and die. The only truth in that superstitious
belief is that death is certain, but writing a will does not bring death sooner
rather than later.
In addition to the many reasons for
writing a will (such as good planning, financial security, family harmony),
another reason is that writing a will is a way to make sure your loved ones are
taken care of when you are no longer on this earth to care for them. 1 Timothy
5:8 says, “anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for
their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” If
people are able to think of a will as a way to protect, provide, and take care
of their loved ones, it can be a life-giving instrument rather than a death
sentence.
There is no such thing as
superstition in estate planning, only wise planning to protect the family you
love.
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