The purpose of life insurance is to replace the primary insured’s income so that in case of death, his or her dependants can pay for the person’s burial expenses and have something to invest to provide for future income.

Most Americans are under-insured, mainly because of the type of insurance we obtain. Whole life and Universal policies have their purposes and some even have investment vehicles built in. Term insurance is cheaper so allows the family better coverage but only lasts for terms of 10, 15 or 20 years before it must be renewed at a higher rate.

And because we tend to have a consumer-oriented mindset, we don’t realize we should invest the payout so instead, we spend it. This needs to change.

People everywhere need to become investment-oriented as our God designed us to be. After all, God is an investor and we were made in His image. He took huge risks when He created this earth and put his two perfect children in literal paradise with just one rule: Don’t eat that.

They promptly broke the rule, got run out of Eden and brought death into the scene for all of mankind. The rest of us have lived in an imperfect world ever since, and lately it’s been getting worse.

So life insurance is a financial vehicle designed to help people recover financially in times of tragedy caused by a loved one’s death.

At the end of each year, it’s not a bad idea to evaluate all your financial commitments and update them as necessary.

One thing to consider adding to your life insurance policy is a $10,000 child rider for each child.

You might say, “Well, if anything ever happens to my child, I don’t want to profit from it”! or “Just having the rider on there is tempting fate and may even call a premature death into existence.”

So let’s talk about this. Sorry, but this is Real Life.

If your child dies young, as one of my seven did at the age of just 19, not only does the entire family, as well as the network of friends, grieve over the loss but the family must come up with at least $10,000 for funeral expenses. Most families don’t have an extra $10,000 lying around so that adds additional stress and frustration to the tragedy.

It helps to believe in your heart that your deceased child really is better off and even happy in Heaven, if that’s where he or she was headed. Sure, you miss them terribly but man’s ultimate destiny is not to live here on earth forever; it is to live with God in Heaven forever.

If we don’t know God, we end up spending eternity with the devil and his followers in Hell. Yes, it’s real. Too many people have experienced the afterlife and come back to tell us about it so there’s no excuse to live in ignorance or construct our own fictional theories.

If you’re concerned about tempting fate, realize that God is ultimately in control. The only way to have total peace in our hearts and lives is to understand His Sovereignty. Until we realize that we can trust His plans, all we can live in is insecurity and frustration.

Aligning with Him and His purpose for YOUR life is what gives you not only peace but specific direction. Our goal is to know Him and walk daily in faith with the Spirit of God directing our steps as we do the specific tasks He has gifted and educated each of us to perform.

When we don’t live in alignment with our Creator, the only things we can experience are frustration and unfulfillment.

The answer to our problems is to seek God – namely His son, Jesus. Read the Bible, starting with the New Testament and read the Old Testament later. Pray. Find someone you respect to talk to about spiritual things.

Don’t live this holiday season in dread and depression because of how life has treated you. Reach out to God, reach out to a friend and develop the only relationship that will give you peace, joy and love.

Oh, and one more thing. Don’t forget to add that child rider to you life insurance policy. If tragedy ever strikes, and I pray that it doesn’t, you’ll be glad you listened to this mom who learned that lesson the hard way.