My husband and I are taking a personal finance course. The main point of the teaching is that debt is bad. We’re to avoid debt, pay off the debts we have as fast as possible, then going forward, buy only what we have the money for and save up beforehand for large purchases. Because, according to Proverbs 22:7 “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” And who wants to live as a slave?
It’s a great message and terrifically counter-cultural, because we live in a world driven by debt. Everywhere you turn there are advertisements of one sort or another encouraging you to buy now and pay later. Because by golly, we deserve to have what we want, and we deserve to have and enjoy the things we want RIGHT NOW! Our culture believes that only the naïve and unsophisticated actually save for something before buying or *gasp* pay with hard cash. (are those little green slips of paper even real money?)
And that is the behavior of the masses. That’s what “everybody” does. But that’s not what the truly wealthy people have done. Folks with millions in the bank now didn’t bog themselves down with credit card and other consumer debt in order to play with toys they couldn’t afford. Folks with millions in the bank now started out by living well under their means, and using what they saved to invest and grow their wealth. Only once they become millionaires did they buy the expensive toys, because then they could go buy them and pay with cash in hand.
That’s a great lesson and always applicable in the world of money. But as I was thinking about this idea of debt, and the rule of avoiding debt if you want to gain real wealth, it occurred to me that there is one area in our lives where debt cannot and should not be avoided.
There is one facet of life where we MUST incur debt, but where “everybody” steers clear of it. And that area is the salvation of our souls, because you can NEVER “save up” enough good or righteous behavior to “buy” your salvation. You simply can’t earn it. The same masses – the same “everybody” – who are so eager to whip out the plastic and dig themselves deeper in debt for the latest toy or gadget, are strangely unwilling to take on debt to save their souls.
But why not, why are they unwilling to take on spiritual debt? There is so much good to be had! From the moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are his. You are saved, you are free. You get to enjoy all the benefits of salvation and a personal relationship with God RIGHT NOW! Just like thatnew living room furniture you just charged, you enjoy your new status in the family of God immediately. You don’t have to wait while you save up, because you can never be good enough.
And so many people have it all backwards. They rush into financial debt and become the slaves of their creditors. But they avoid the spiritual debt that would actually set them free! How very confused, and how very sad they are.
Like those who are rich in dollars, the spiritually wealthy people have also gone against the behavior of the masses. The spiritually wealthy have put themselves in debt to Jesus. They’ve acknowledged their inability to be “good enough” or to save themselves. They’ve gotten on their knees and begged mercy and forgiveness, and found themselves crowned with the glories of Heaven.
Trust Jesus: He’s the best investment you can possibly make.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion.
For this is what the LORD says: "You were sold for nothing,
