City Life Starter

I. The Word

Romans 13:8a: Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another….

Philippians 4:12-13: I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things [a]through Him who strengthens me.

II. Questions

1. Are you in debt?

2. What is the nature of debt and how is it a reversal of the dominion mandate?

3. What is the secret of getting out of debt?

When I was in law school, I didn’t manage what little money I had very well and as a result, I bought a lot of debt into my marriage. I didn’t know then what I’m going to share with you now.

The Apostle Paul said to owe nothing to anyone except to love them. Romans 13:8a. That should probably be enough for us, but like a good father the Lord explains why we are to avoid debt: “the lender is the slave of the borrower.” Proverbs 22:7. The Lord does not want His people to be slaves.

When God was describing for Israel how they would be blessed above the pagan nations around them if they were obedient to Him He said “You will lend to many nations but you shall not borrow. . . . The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you only will be above, and you will not be underneath.” Deuteronomy 28:1, 12-13. Conversely, when the Lord was describing how things would be if Israel did not obey His law, He said the non-believer among them “shall lend to you, but you will not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you will be the tail.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 44.

When we borrow money we mortgage our future to someone other than King Jesus; we put ourselves under the dominion of another. We become a slave to someone other than Christ. And, at its heart, the debt it is presumptuous. When we borrow money we are presuming we will have the money in the future to repay what we borrow today. See James 4:13. Most debt is self-centered, not Christ-centered.

I don’t know about you, but it didn’t take me long to decide I didn’t want to be a slave, a tail, or underneath. I wanted to be free, above and blessed. So, Cindy and I decided to deal with debt early on. We put our credit cards in a ziplock storage bag in the freezer and didn’t touch them for two years. Slowly we paid off the credit cards, then the cars, and then our house. We did this in 6 years, and during that time we never made more than $125,000 in a year. Most of those years we made significantly less than $100,000.

Our secret? Actually, the Apostle Paul wrote about it nearly 2,000 years ago:

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength”

Philippians 4:12-13. The secret is being contented in your circumstances, and the ability to be content comes from drawing on the strength of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it interesting the statement we cite so often as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power in a believer’s life was made in the context of being content financially? Spirit-empowered contentment is the key to getting out of debt.

So, I drove a Nissan 300ZX until it was 11 years old when I could have afforded the payments on a Porsche. We lived in a $90,000 home when we could have afforded the mortgage payments on a $300,000 home. We didn’t wear the most expensive clothes or go out to eat as much as our neighbors. As a result, we didn’t appear to have as much money as some of our friends, but we learned how to be content with what we had, and we got out of debt. And the day we got out of debt was one of the best days of our lives. We felt free and completely at the disposal of the Lord.

I recognize the need to borrow money for college, cars, and homes. With regard to some purchases, the debt may be a necessary evil, but always recognize debt for what it is, and make it your goal to get out of it as soon as possible.