Once you have decided to live a giving life, many will step forward to offer their opinions about how you should be generous. People are quick to tell you what you should do and may even show disappointment if you take another path.

Remember Job? When in deep financial trouble, several advisors showed up to tell him where he went wrong and how he ought to proceed—yet a pattern emerged.

Job stated his position, listened to each advisor, and then clearly made his case for choosing to remain steadfast in faith. He seemed familiar with what he was being told and chose the path through prayerful consideration. Jon knew his own heart and intentions and intentions and was ultimately rewarded for staying the course.

Faithful Stewardship

For the discerning steward, it is important to seek counsel and examine options for estate planning and generosity. Is it better to give during lifetime? Or is it better for charitable works to be done through your will or trust?

There are good reasons for either or both. You likely know the people, property and at least some of the plans that make up your estate. What you may not know are the best ways to assure your property blesses the people and ministries you love when your plans are set in motion.

In learning how to accomplish your desires it is vital to surround yourself with wise counsel. There is no better counsel than prayerful consultation with God. After all, He has granted us His property to use and manage. We are His stewards, managers and trustees.

It has been said that our lives are a trust given by God. He is the owner of our lives (time, abilities, finances) and entrusts us with the management. Managing is often called stewardship. Stewardship teaching typically focuses on asset management during lifetime. We can easily find information about budgeting, investing, spending and generosity. However, what about when the trust ends at our death? Would not we, as good stewards, want to be sure our distribution plan (estate plan) honors God well?

By seeking the owner’s input through prayer and following the owner’s guidance through the Bible, we can know we are acting as faithful stewards. Faithful stewardship—even in our final distribution—makes the entire process a spiritual one rather than a mechanical estate plan.