Your Declaration
"And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)
A few excerpts from the opening paragraphs of our Declaration of Independence are as follows:
"When in the Couse of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another"
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government. laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness"
"It is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security"
Now, reread those paragraphs and in absorbing those words above, replace the areas above of the concept of another current oppressive government with our creditors and debts, and applying God's Word as our new government in our finances.
In the same manner the founding people of our country were oppressed and declared to begin a better way, we need to regard the true oppressive effects of debt and declare stepping out on a path towards independence from it.
Let's view part of the those three original paragraphs and what you can do in parallel efforts towards Your Declaration.
Dissolve the political bands - The first step toward dissolving your debts is to know the state of them. Write down each of your debts - the total amount owed and the minimum monthly payments. A next important step is to know what you spend - log each expense for one month to show you where the money is going.
Here's where you begin dissolving... identify the debt with the lowest balance and apply an extra amount with the next payment to lower it. Even if it is just $10, go ahead and do it. You will be encouraged to see it has made a difference, and that encouragement will urge you on, to find additional ways to save more money for the next month and reduce the balance further.
The Declaration of Independence in 1776 did not instantly change our government, we had to fight hard and sacrifice to win battles over the next seven years until the British monarchy acknowledged our independence. In that same manner, our beginning step of declaring our independence from debt will require continued effort and sacrifice each month, fighting to win each battle... but I can tell you from experience it is exciting to see debt balances get reduced each month, and then retiring individual debts and having their payments come off the next month is even more encouraging!
Institute new Government - our foundation in this effort is to be obedient to Christ, for He declared, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life". and it is written that the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). When my wife Karen and I attended the debt-free seminar, I came out of it with our declaration - "we are going to do this", because I knew it agreed with God's Word and was His will to be free from debt. There was no doubt He was going to bless our efforts because it aligned with His will.
That was the beginning of instituting new government, replacing the former way of doing things... just following the masses making monthly payments, maintaining debt and keeping our creditors happy, to a new way... in stepping out in faith, moving towards independence from those creditors and eventually eliminating the need for them.
Provide new Guards for the future security - applying God's Word as our guard in our finances, to keep free of debt as much as possible, will protect us from stumbling and being bound in the chains which our creditors hold.
What we are doing is moving away from the "standard" that is permissible in today's financial world. Where the analysts view your income and debts and declare "you can borrow this much", which is a percentage of your income. We're moving towards a higher standard that comes straight from the God who loves us, knows what is the best for us and desires that for us and will bless us in our efforts. David said it so perfectly in 2 Samuel 7:28 in declaring "Your words are truth".
Besides the Lord, you have someone to help towards your independence. If you want any encouragement, prayer, or to go over the figures with you, I will be happy to be there for you. My wife Karen and I are available to teach the free 3-hour debt-free class, adding to it foundational scriptures, our testimonies and those of others. Please contact me or the church if you would like to attend a future class.
In closing, know that you are carrying our God's will, and it is not in your own strength, but relying on the Lord's to bring about the victory. As it is written in 2 Chronicles 20:15 - "...Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God's."
God Bless you and may He show Himself greatly to you,
Paul
