Gaining Ground
In Luke 14:28, Jesus said "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?" Jesus frequently spoke in parables to convey His message in terms people could relate to - in this instance, the cost of discipleship. With many looking to football starting again, I want to share some ways to view paying off debt and gaining ground in a similar manner.
We may begin a month at 1st down and 10 yards to go, but if we spend more than we make we've been sacked - and now face more than 10 yards for the next month. Proverbs 21:20 illustrates that "precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it". It is simply saying the foolish man wasted and spent everything he earned, while the wise man spent less than he made.
But it gets worse from there, since we've usually borrowed that excess amount on our credit cards, we get hit with a "penalty" on top of the loss of yardage in the form of interest (averaging 14%), so figuratively we may be looking at 2nd down and 20 yards (or more) for the next month.
So how do we gain ground? Just like in the real game, we run the ball and take a modest gain - by going back to Proverbs 21:20 and spending less than we make the next month. The good news is we have more than four downs to make up the lost yardage, just "advance the ball" a portion each month. As you are encouraged by the results you will think of additional ways to curb overspending and will move forward even faster.
Consider our credit cards and smaller debts like first downs on the field. In the bigger picture of getting debt-free, it is as we pay off those debts we move closer to the end zone, which would be like what is owed on your car(s). Paying off the smaller debts - and not charging them back up again, frees up the additional funds to allow you to retire your car debt(s) in a relatively short time... and punch it in the end zone.
Having moved past the credit cards, smaller debts and car loans you now have the capacity to take your mortgage head on. It has worked like a snowball rolling downhill and at this point you can make double and even triple payments and on average pay off your mortgage in about 5 years. I can tell you from experience that major accomplishment is like winning the game - even the Super Bowl!
The great players and teams do not just show up on game day, they've put in the time preparing in the weight room, studying the playbook and practicing to carry out the coaches' plays.
It's not much different for us in this effort. Spending time in God's Word having our mind renewed, seeking His face and listening to Him will help prepare us to make wise choices. We also have the Holy Spirit, who can assist much like how the coaches speak to the players' receivers in their helmets in an instant. It's promised that if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
Lastly, be encouraged that our "play caller", God Almighty, has promised this... "I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten... and you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you".
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
