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Introduction
Debt is an issue that plagues society.
Here’s a few examples:
2017 - the average U.S. household had $15,983 of credit card debt.
2017 - $47,047 in student loan debt.
“Up to 27 million U.S. adults are putting medical expenses on credit cards, according to NerdWallet’s analysis, costing them an average of $471 in interest for a year’s worth of out-of-pocket medical spending.”
During the 2008 recession many people lost their homes when the adjustable rates kicked in.
Many lost their jobs, their retirement account savings, etc.
Recently, a Wilmington lawyer was sentenced to 8 years in prison because of his part in taking advantage of people through PayDay loans.
He was involved in charging people up to 780% in interest.
For example - on a $1,000 loan they would charge people $6,800 in interest.
Proverbs
Proverbs exhorts us from becoming responsible for the payment of debts.
The main reason is that you can loose everything because of debt.
How many people have lost everything to bankruptcy?
How many people have committed suicide because they see it as the only way to become free from the shackles of debt?
How many people have embezzled money to be able to cover their debts?
The Bible has much to say about debt.
We will consider this topic under the following headings:
The Biblical regulation of debt.
The reasons people go into debt.
How to avoid debt.
I.
The Biblical regulation of debt.
I. Las reglas bíblicas en cuanto las deudas.
Leviticus 25
The Bible regulates debt.
The reason why God would have guardrails regarding debt is because he knows the sinfulness of our hearts.
Although the people of Israel where his chosen people, he knows the conditions of their heart - always seeking to take advantage, always seeking to make a buck at the expense of others.
These regulations include:
Recognition and consideration of those that are poor and unable to support themselves.
Recognition and consideration of the foreigner and stranger.
The recognition and consideration of these groups of people was that they could continue to physically survive within the community of Israel.
Part of their help to these less fortunate people was to lend them money at 0% interest.
This was a way the people of Israel were to fear God - by keeping this commandment.
Note that debt is not incurred in order to purchase luxuries, purchase a bigger home, or buy a newer donkey that would go at 7 MPH vs 5 MPH.
The reality was that debt was intended to be incurred only by the poor to have enough to survive.
People going into debt were in a real need.
They would not be able to survive without going into debt.
The year of jubilee would set everyone free from their debt obligations.
Deuteronomy 15:1-2
Every seven years the year of jubilee would come around and all debts would be cancelled.
One would think that people would be taking advantage of this provision in the Mosaic law.
We forget that debt was intended to be taken on by those who were truly poor in Israel.
Some of them would sell themselves into slavery.
They would become bondservants to pay off their debt.
Every seven years the jubilee would be proclaimed and all the debts in Israel were wiped clean.
Deut 15
Our society is far away from living under God’s commands regarding debt because:
We take on debt to satisfy our materialistic desires.
We are willing to go into debt for the most up to debt cell phone or a more recent car.
We take on debt foolishly by not considering whether that investment will yield any profit.
There are college students that graduate with a history, art, or english major - with $100,000 in debt not realizing it is unlikely they will have a job that will allow them to pay off their student loans.
We live in a society of extravagant interest rates with outrageous late payment penalties.
We go into debt thinking that all our worries will be wiped clean by simply declaring bankruptcy.
We ask people to lend us money and when we are unable to pay those relationships are broken, we move away, we run away from our troubles.
Deuteronomio 15:1
Th
II.
What should you do if you are in debt?
How to avoid debt.
II.
¿Qué debemos hacer si estamos en deuda?
What are we to do if we find ourselves under massive debt?
Repentance - We must understand that we may be guilty of materialism, foolishness, or simply a lack of trust in God.
We must understand that we may be guilty of materialism, foolishness, or simply a lack of trust in God.
We must come up with a plan.
Without a plan we will fail.
The following tips are offered through Crown Financial Resources - a ministry that has helped many believers become free from the slavery to debt:
Do not forget your responsibility to honor God through your finances.
It demonstrates your dependence and gratitude to God.
Destroy all credit cards.
Establish a payment schedule that includes all credits.
A snowball payment plan encourages you to pay the minimum payment on all debt except for one account.
This account gets more money.
Once that is paid off, you make the minimum on all accounts except for another account.
That account gets more money.
You repeat the cycle until all is paid off.
Contact all creditors, honestly relate your problems, and arrange an equitable repayment plan.
Buy on a cash basis, and sacrifice your wants and desires until you are current.
When all consumer debt is paid off, then reallocate that money to savings.
Seek advice from others who demonstrate wisdom in their management of money.
The church should be a place where we model behavior that is in line with the word of God.
There are those that have proven themselves to be wise stewards and can share their wisdom with us.
III.
How to avoid debt.
III.
Como evitar las deudas.
Be content with what you have.
Philipians 4:11-13
Phillippians 4:11-13
We must be content with what we have and live within our means.
Jesus Christ is the only one that offers true fulfillment.
Be self-controlled.
We must not be slaves to our wants and our desires.
2 Timothy
A self-controlled person controls how they spend their money.
A self-controlled person does not purchase things out of impulse.
A self-controlled person knows when it is wise to spend vs. when it is wiser to save.
Realize that debt makes you a slave.
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