“For He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].” (Matthew 5:45). A couple weeks ago our corporate office informed us they were terminating the employment of our team of 18 persons, effective at the end of that week. Just over 10 years ago I had also received a sudden termination notice due to a corporate restructuring.
My wife Karen and I have been assisting and encouraging people and congregations to become debt-free for over 15 years, but I can tell you that when I had been given word of the sudden loss of employment… it was at that time I then realized how much it was worth to have followed God’s Word as it speaks to finances, debt and giving. This is not much different than the life preserver illustration shown above – you may not understand it’s full value until you need it.
How long could you go if you lost your income tomorrow and couldn’t find another job? From relying so much on credit, many households are only “renting” their lifestyle. They really do not own their house, car or anything else bought with credit. Unfortunately, many are a few paychecks away from being “evicted” from their lifestyle. It’s important to be obedient and take the steps now to not be renting our lifestyle.
1 Timothy 5:8 cautions us that “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” That is a strong charge, however the word “provide” in the Greek (pronoeo) means to consider in advance and look out beforehand. Isn’t eliminating debt an important step in being able to fulfill this scripture?
If you view the prior posts on the Financial Fitness page there are several with detailed steps you can take towards eliminating debt. So much of this effort revolves around two key scriptures.
First, to achieve the breakthrough we need is to choose contentment. In Philippians 4, Paul tells us “I have learned how to be content in whatever state I am. I know how to live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance.” He received his contentment from Christ. It is in this reliance that will provide patience, enabling us to turn away from choices of spending money we do not have that plunge us into debts.
Second, Proverbs 21:20 enlightens us that “There are precious treasures and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a self-confident and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.” God’s Word is simply telling us to spend less money than we make. The wise one had provision in their household, but not the foolish one because he spent all his income as soon as he made it. If we allow our hearts to soften towards God and choose contentment rather than overspending, it will create the opportunity to manage our resources to where we will spend less than we make.
I want to strongly encourage you to cast off the excuses that have kept you from moving forward. We do not know what the next day will hold. There are storms that will come, but the believer in Christ who makes the wise choices with their finances will be better prepared to weather that storm.
Lastly, consider what the author of Psalms 119 wrote to share how much God’s Word was worth – “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
