We may be surprised that we are living longer than many of our grandparents and that we are healthier than our parents were, but we should not be surprised that our lives will one day end.

We may encounter physical disability; we may be laid off from our jobs; our businesses may not survive as long as we live; we may just get tired. Not only is it prudent for us to consider our own survival, but we must also consider the welfare of our families that depend on us after we die. We must prepare for our decline and our departure while our strength is still present.

Medical technology has made it possible for people to live far beyond their natural years.  One of the most difficult decisions for a family to make involves how long to keep a loved one on life support.  Circumstances requiring such decisions are now widespread within hospitals and the healthcare systems due to the existence of very sophisticated technologies.

King Hezekiah was not on life support but he had an illness that the prophet Isaiah predicted would end his life.  Hezekiah followed up the prophet’s prediction by going straight to God with a request to live longer, and God granted the king 15 more years. But eventually, he still died.

Isaiah gave him good advice regardless of whether he died then or lived 15 more years. “Put your house in order” is good advice whenever it is given because every one of us will face the end of our physical lives and we might even have our lives extended by machines.

Putting your house in order includes preparing a professional will concerning your estate and heirs, as well as creating written instructions concerning your desires should a time arrive when you can no longer make and communicate decisions for yourself about medical treatment. These instructions are living wills and advance directives.

These are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself.  Advance directives guide choices for doctors and caregivers if you’re terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia or near the end of your life.

Advance directives aren’t just for older adults. Unexpected end-of-life situations can happen at any age, so it’s important for all adults to prepare these documents.

By “putting your house in order”, you ensure that your wishes and instructions are carried out if you become incapacitated or die, avoiding unnecessary suffering and relieving your family of decision-making burdens during moments of crisis or grief.

You also help reduce confusion or disagreement about the choices you would want people to make on your behalf or about your estate.

Go to www.dfree.com/gethelp and connect with a professional to discuss how to put your house in order today.

*Culled from Meditations for Financial Freedom Vol. 2