Looming Shadows of Debt
So, who's afraid of a shadow? Shadows are deceiving and create illusions.
Debt, also, is a deceptive illusion that we possess things that
we do not really own. According to Webster:
Debt- (L) n. debitum that which is owed
to someone; an obligation to pay or return something; the condition
of owing (morally obligated); theologically, a SIN of unbelief that
God can and will meet our needs.
Obligate- (L) v. to bind by a contract, promise,
sense of duty; bound by a responsibility.
Very few people in today's society escape at least
a short period of circumstantial debt. Whatever the life event,
downsizing, illness, divorce, accidents, death of a loved one, most
of us have had to be "more than a conqueror through Christ." Using
a Debt Triangle we can build a pyramid of the highest to the lowest
types of debt.
DEBT TRIANGLE
So, What's Wrong with DEBT?
Debt in itself is not always bad. Once your home, cars, creditors
are paid off, debt for investment purchases is actually very good.
There are countless advantages for expenditures that arise out of
property investments. Debt that creates a bondage and threat to
a healthy consumer lifestyle, however, is actually a sin, in that
it separates us from the belief in the call of God on our lives.
God has a plan to prosper us and not do us harm and give us
a future. Jeremiah 29:11. Because we know not the future, we
have no authority to presuppose on God to provide beyond His daily
promise. When we willingly enter a debt agreement, especially in
an ungodly, material world, we gamble that God will extend His blessings
to cover our lust for other things. Whatever way we justify our
needs, debt is often a clear sign that we need to examine our true
motives when purchasing.
"The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender…ye know not the future."
 Proverbs 22:7
Four Things Debt Causes:
1. Compound Interest …in reverse.
Instead of the creditor paying interest for the amount of money in savings, they are
charging interest for the time we borrow their money on their goods.
Borrow.......$100,000
Interest......10%
30 years....60 months
Payment....$877.57
Total paid..$312,925.00 (additional $215,925 for $100,000.)
The sin is the $215,925.00 that could have been used for so many other ways for
building the Kingdom of God.
2. Borrowing Presumes on the Future:
"Go to now, you that say, Today or tomorrow we will go
into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and
get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.
For What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little
time, and then vanishes away. 15 For that, you ought to say, If
the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 But now you
rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.17
Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him
it is sin." James 4:13-17
When we borrow, especially in times of economic
uncertainty, we are gambling that the money will come in, or that
God will rescue us. Yet, He can only perform things in agreement
to His Word. If we are not following His Wisdom and guidance then
we are acting out of our own reasoning; boasting in our ability
to buy great purchases. Rather, we should humble ourselves and boast
only on what the Lord has provided for us. Again, we are living
under an illusive shadow that we have bought goods, when
in honesty, we have merely charged goods.
3. Denies God an opportunity to prove Himself.
"Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine House.
PROVE ME NOW herewith says the Lord of Hosts, that I will open you the windows of heaven
and pour you out a blessing that you cannot contain. I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes. He will not destroy the fruit of your ground. Neither shall your vine cast fruit
before its time and all the nations of the world will call you blessed." Malachi 3:10-11
God says prove ME not First American Bank! Tithing
will not get us into or keep us out of heaven. Tithing is an act
of trust and obedience. If we bring all the tithe, the
full ten-percent to the storehouse, God's promise is to rebuke the
devourer (one who greedily swallows up), prohibit anyone from destroying
the fruit of our ground (fruit of our labor). Certainly the finance
charges at 18-24 % devour our profit and make our labor a futile
effort.
Neither shall our vine (of opportunity and blessings) cast fruit before
their time (before we are equipped or prepared to harvest), and all the nations of the world
shall call us blessed, because we will be providing for their needs with our overflow.
The degree of devastation we suffer often determines the time necessary
to return to financial stability. Our degree of releasing and surrendering our recovery to
the Lord instead of legal or governmental agencies often determines the length of our shadow.
The Lord promised David, "though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." Psalm 23. When
we substitute our financial circumstances in that phrase, we discover a more peripheral
position of God's protection. Let's examine the mind-set that determines which lifestyle we
choose as believers.
American-Christian: "Because
I dwell in the valley of the shadow of debt, I will fear all creditors,
their collectors and attorneys are ever after me. Their fine print
and laws discomfort me."
Christian-American: "Though I walk through the
valley (low-lying place between two high places through which
waters have drained) of the shadow
of debt (illusion of lack, poverty, and bondage), I will fear no evil
(absence of God's presence), for Thou art with me. Thy rod (Word of
correction) and Thy staff (symbol of Spiritual authority) they comfort me."
The Lord never intended for us to take up permanent residency in
Poverty Valley. We are to dwell in the secret place of the Most
High, under the Shadow of the Almighty, in His image, which is NOT
a poverty, thieving, hand-out mentality. We are expected to honor
our agreements and contracts to God first and quickly repay any
debts so that we may be a good witness to those watching our actions.
To walk in the blessings we must honor the Lord with our First Fruits,
not what is left over.
4. Block or Detour God's Calling for our Life
In identifying our positions in the earth, the majority of Christian-Americans are being
chased by shadows of lack, fear, compulsive buying, impulsive spending, and are dominated
by the remains of their checking account. Any or all of these things will not keep us out
of heaven, but they will financially cripple us and prohibit us from walking in God's
promised covenant and His perfect plan and purpose for our lives as believers.
In Galations 5:1 Paul exhorted the believers (not
unbelievers) to "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ
has made you free, and be not entangled again (and again-and again)
to the yoke of bondage." Especially as believers, we have
an obligation to our debtors to repay them at our earliest opportunity.
Instead, many repay at their latest convenience, accruing increased
finance charges, late fees, and overlimit fees. By that time there
are brewing hostilities between them and their creditor, they begin
taking on un-Christ-like attitudes, defensive actions, and eventually
begin a lifestyle of a thief, i.e. "Catch me if you can!" The chase
begins and the Debt Shadow pursues and overtakes them! Debtor mentality
is a thief in that excessive charges and fees rob us from the financial
freedom to fund ministries, travel on mission trips, and develop
programs that present the Gospel and build the Kingdom for the Lord.
WE become the enemy!
God's promise, however, is that "if thou shalt hearken diligently to the
voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments…that the Lord will set
you on high above all the nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings (verses 3-15) shall
come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God."
Deuteronomy 28:1-15. |
