“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21
Stewarding Your Digital Kingdom: A Christian Perspective
In today's digital age, your online presence represents not just a collection of accounts and files, but a significant portion of the resources God has entrusted to your care. As Christian financial advisors from Shenkman Law emphasize, “Estate planning should not merely be about the transmission of wealth, but about the transmission of values.” This approach reminds us that our digital legacy is part of our broader testimony.
According to a recent 2025 survey by Bryn Mawr Trust, Americans now estimate their digital assets to be worth an average of $191,516, yet a staggering 76% still have little knowledge about digital estate planning. For Christians called to faithful stewardship, this represents not just a financial oversight, but a spiritual responsibility.
“The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” – Psalm 24:1
This foundational truth, highlighted by Grace Financial Advisors, reminds us that “your estate plan is the last opportunity to use what God has entrusted to you for His glory.” This principle applies just as much to your digital assets as it does to your physical ones.
What Digital Assets Should Christians Consider?
The average person now manages approximately 168 online accounts according to data from NordPass—and that number continues growing. As faithful stewards, consider these digital assets that form part of your God-given resources:
- Faith journey documentation: Photos of baptisms, mission trips, church events
- Spiritual resources: Bible study materials, sermon notes, devotional subscriptions
- Online giving accounts: Recurring donations to ministries and churches
- Email correspondence: Important family and ministry communications
- Social media accounts: Platforms where you've shared your testimony
- Digital purchases: Books, music, movies that reflect your values
- Financial accounts: Online banking, investments, cryptocurrency
- Cloud storage: Family photos, important documents, legacy letters
Biblical Foundations for Digital Estate Planning
Scripture provides clear guidance for how we should approach the responsible management of all resources—including digital ones:
“A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children.” – Proverbs 13:22
As the Christian Estate Planning Podcast notes, this verse speaks directly to our responsibility to preserve our legacy across generations. In today's world, that inheritance includes your digital footprint.
“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” – 1 Timothy 5:8
This powerful instruction from Paul, highlighted by Grace Financial Advisors, reminds us that comprehensive planning for our loved ones is not optional—it's a fundamental expression of our faith.
“But all things should be done decently and in order.” – 1 Corinthians 14:40
This principle should guide our approach to organizing all aspects of our lives, including our digital assets. Estate planning is less about money and more about relationships. Developing a clear, organized plan demonstrates wisdom and helps maintain family harmony.
Christian Experts Speak: Digital Legacy as Stewardship
Christian financial advisors increasingly recognize the spiritual dimensions of digital estate planning.
The Bespoke Group says the Parable of the Talents teaches us that we're accountable for maximizing the resources entrusted to us. In today's world, your digital assets are part of those talents. Having no plan for these assets is like the servant who buried his talent in the ground.”
Blue Trust, a Christian financial advisory firm, emphasizes that “one of the core principles of a biblical perspective on money is that ‘God owns it all.' If God owns it all, we are simply stewards of his blessings and resources.” Their approach integrates biblical principles into every aspect of financial planning, including digital legacy planning.
Maggi Keating, a CFP at FBB Capital Partners, told Kiplinger magazine: “It's not just in regards to your crypto holdings, it's all your online presence, from social media accounts to online subscriptions. These things need to be dealt with in a legal way.” For Christians, we might add they need to be dealt with in a God-honoring way.
Clayton and Allegra, clients of Blue Trust from Hollywood, CA, share their experience: “When considering receiving counsel in our lives, whether relationally or financially, we believe it's important that we share core values. No value is more foundational to us than our faith as Christians. Blue Trust combines practical experience with biblical wisdom.”
The Parable of the Digital Talents: A Modern Application
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) provides a powerful framework for understanding our responsibility toward digital assets. As Bertram Financial points out, “The message here is clear: we're called to make our resources work for us, to invest wisely and create a return.”
Consider how this applies to your digital estate:
- Recognition: Acknowledge that your digital assets are resources entrusted to you by God
- Responsibility: Take active steps to manage them wisely
- Return: Ensure they continue benefiting your family and Kingdom purposes after you're gone
- Readiness: Prepare for the day when you'll give account for your stewardship
Just as the faithful servants in the parable actively managed what was entrusted to them, we too must actively prepare our digital assets for transfer.
Creating Your Faith-Based Digital Estate Plan
“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.” – Hebrews 11:7
Like Noah, we prepare for future events we cannot see. Following this biblical example, here are practical steps to create your digital estate plan:
1. Inventory All Digital Assets with Prayer
Begin with prayer, asking God for wisdom as you catalog your digital footprint. As the team at Money and the Gospel emphasizes, “Christian financial planning should be prayer saturated. Since earthly values are always attractive, it's easy to move toward false treasure in the way we think about money… So, we must pray if we are to win the battle.”
Create a comprehensive inventory including:
- Email accounts and social media profiles
- Online banking and investment accounts
- Subscription services
- Digital purchases (music, books, movies, Bible study resources)
- Online businesses or income-generating websites
- Cryptocurrency wallets and NFT collections
- Cloud storage accounts with photos and documents
- Loyalty program rewards and airline miles
- Online giving accounts and recurring donations to ministries
2. Document Access Information Securely
For each asset, document:
- Account names and URLs
- Usernames (but never include passwords in your will, as it becomes public after death)
- Two-factor authentication recovery codes
- Security question answers
Store this information securely using tools like:
- Password Managers: Tools like 1Password, LastPass, and Keeper now offer specific estate planning features
- Digital Estate Management Systems: SecureSafe or similar services
- Estate Planning Software: Tools like GoodTrust designed for digital estate planning
3. Name a Digital Executor Who Shares Your Faith
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22
When selecting a digital executor, choose someone who:
- Shares your faith values
- Has technical knowledge to access various platforms
- Understands your wishes for each account
- Will exercise discretion with personal data
As Bob Barber and Shawn Peters discuss on the Christian Financial Perspectives podcast, when selecting someone to handle financial matters after your death, it's important to find “the one that's frugal and will stick to what you want” who will “make good decisions.”
4. Include Legal Authorization Aligned with Biblical Principles
Make sure your will or trust explicitly:
- Provides your executor with authority to access, transfer, and dispose of digital assets
- References your separate password document (remember, never include passwords in the will itself)
- Addresses cryptocurrency and NFTs specifically if you own them
For cryptocurrency, consider options like:
- Hardware wallets titled in the name of a trust
- Detailed instructions for heirs on accessing private keys
- Split private keys among trusted individuals for security
5. Express Your Wishes as Ministry Opportunities
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” – 1 Corinthians 14:40
For each digital asset, specify whether you want it:
- Deleted
- Archived
- Memorialized (for social accounts)
- Transferred to specific heirs
- Used to continue supporting ministries you care about
6. Consider Your Tithing and Kingdom Giving
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops.” – Proverbs 3:9
Matt McClintock from The Bespoke Group notes that “there's a collision between how the secular world approaches planning and giving, and how the Bible calls us to live and give.” As Stewardship Library points out, many Christians opt to structure their estate plans to give to worthy Kingdom causes rather than paying unnecessary taxes.
If you have valuable digital assets, consider:
- Designating a portion for your church or favorite ministries
- Setting up a digital giving legacy to continue supporting causes you care about
- Creating clear instructions for how digital assets should be liquidated for charitable purposes
Tools and Legal Landscape in 2025
The good news is that both laws and tools have evolved to address digital estate planning:
As of February 2025, 47 states have adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), which establishes a clear hierarchy for managing digital assets:
- Online tools take precedence (Google's Inactive Account Manager, Facebook's Legacy Contact)
- Legal documents come next (your will, trust, or power of attorney)
- Terms of service as a last resort
Christian-oriented estate planning tools now also include:
- Platform-Specific Legacy Features (Facebook, Google, Apple)
- Estate Planning Software with faith-based options
- Cryptocurrency Solutions with ethical frameworks
Faithful Planning as an Act of Love
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13
Creating a digital estate plan is ultimately an act of love—for God, for your family, and for the causes you support. As Focus on the Family notes in their estate planning guidance, there are biblical principles you should keep in mind, including “the treasure principle,” which says, “You can't take it with you – but you can send it on ahead.”
Taking just a few hours to document your digital assets today could save your loved ones countless hours of stress later and ensure your digital legacy continues to honor God after you're gone.
The team at Christian Financial Advisors reminds us that their approach is about “helping investors build a holistic, fully integrated faith driven portfolio and life plan that balances personal goals with eternal objectives.” Your digital estate plan should reflect this same balance.
A Prayer for Your Digital Legacy
As you begin planning, consider this prayer:
Heavenly Father, all that I have comes from You, including my digital presence and assets. Grant me wisdom to steward these resources well, not just during my lifetime but beyond. Help me create a plan that honors You, serves my family, and advances Your kingdom. May my digital legacy be a testament to Your faithfulness and provision. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Remember what Shenkman Law advises for Christian estate planning: “Estate planning should not merely be about the transmission of wealth, but about the transmission of values.” Make sure your digital estate plan transmits the values of faith, hope, and love that have guided your life.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24)
This article provides general guidance. Digital estate planning laws vary by jurisdiction. Consult with a Christian attorney familiar with digital assets in your location for personalized advice.
