Living Without Debt
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross
Get out and stay out! Of debt, that is.
Living Without Debt
by Barry Newton
The Lord's perspective
Long before financial advisors like Suze Orman
were toting the virtues of living credit-card-debt
free, the light from Jesus' teachings was
evaporating the reasons for going into debt.
* Why should you whip out your credit card to own
the latest, the greatest or to keep up with others
since your life is not measured by your
possessions? Luke 12:15
* What motive do you have for going into debt over
those things which the world pursues when God
detests what is highly valued among people? Luke
16:15
* If God will provide for your daily needs if you
seek His kingdom, what need is there to charge
additional items for which you can not pay? Luke
12:22-31
* Since Jesus' parable about ten men each
receiving a mina reveals that God expects you to
be a good steward in serving kingdom purposes, how
does credit-card debt fit into accomplishing this
goal? Luke 19:11-27
A common perspective among humanity
In contrast to our Lord's perspective, Jimmy
Stewart's character in Shenandoah reflects a
typical human attitude when he cried out, “Lord,
we plowed the fields, planted the crops, cared for
them and harvested them, and now we're eating what
we provided.” He was making the very claim which
God had warned against in Deuteronomy 8:17.
The attitude of "I earned this and so it is mine"
reflects the underlying myopic spiritual anemia of
viewing our possessions as our security and
ourselves as the provider. If it is all about what
you have and what you are capable of enjoying
because you earned it, would not such an attitude
encourage you to spend more than what you could
afford?
Living with the Lord's perspective
In reality, nothing belongs to any of us. The
earth and everything within it belongs to the
Lord. To live with the Lord's perspective involves
making God the source of our security instead of
depending upon our possessions. In this way, our
financial means are freed from being silos of
security to become tools used in God's service. We
are simply stewards of the wonderful resources the
Lord has made available to us.
If we can cast off being conformed to this world
by maturing into recognizing that what we have is
not truly ours and by believing that God will
provide for our needs, the path will lie open
before us to live first for his kingdom. God wants
us to use our wealth not only to sustain ourselves
but also to be a blessing toward others. 1 Timothy
6:17; Luke 12:32-34
What are some practical things you can do? How can
you train your children to think maturely about
finances?
• As a family, study what Scripture has revealed
about God providing for us, the role of our
financial means, and stewardship accountability.
• Sit down as a family to create a budget and
start with what is most important in order to
model how to establish priorities and boundaries.
• Get each of your family members to make a
commitment to live within your family's means in
order that you will be able to fulfill your
divinely given stewardship purposes.
• Involve your family in giving to the Lord and
doing good to bless others.