Building Wealth & Stewardship in the ChurchSample

DAY 3 – GETTING OUT OF DEBT

Breaking free from financial bondage and a poverty mindset means WE MUST GET OUT OF DEBT. Romans 13:8 tells us that we should owe no man anything except love. Regrettably, even amongst the Saints of God, we have become accustomed to a life of debt. We’re diligent in our careers and faithful to attaining our goals, but we are underwater in financial obligations. Some Christians have become so overwhelmed with such enormous deficits that they don’t even have enough left to accumulate an emergency savings or give their tithe and offering to God. THAT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM! But, let’s be clear, this is not just something that is happening in the lives of blue-collar workers, folks with college degrees and six-figure incomes are also struggling in a world-wind of debt.

Now, please understand, I am by no means implying that debt is a sin, however, if we are going to be all the way transparent, we know that debt can actually lead to sin and is a tactic that the enemy uses to keep us in oppression. How is that? When we become so indebted to creditors that we can’t give as God commanded, not only are we in bondage, but we are walking in disobedience.

Also, may I add, becoming free from debt does not mean that we pay our tithe and offering and spend the rest of the money as we choose. I know it’s hard to fathom, BUT --IT --IS --NOT --OUR --MONEY. Everything that has anything to do with a Child of God, MUST BE SURRENDERED TO HIM!!! So, it is important to our purpose-driven life that we adhere to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Like the good and faithful servants depicted in Matthew 25:20-22, we don’t want to squander what God has entrusted to us. Woooo! I truly felt the conviction of the Lord in writing this paragraph.

Proverbs 3:6 says, in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Even in our financial decisions, we must acknowledge The Lord and allow Him to guide us. We should PRAY AND SEEK GOD about a budget and strategies to help us to become liberated from the curse of financial debt. Remember, it is our poor decisions that likely got us into debt in the first place. Many times, we desire the blessings of God, but because of the sacrifice it will require, we don’t want to allow God to show us HOW to be blessed. Ouch, if that didn’t step on your toes, it surely stepped on mine.

Why is all of this so important? We are the salt of the Earth. Yes, we are the light of the world. Yet, we will be unable to do the work God has called us to do effectively if we’re in captivity ourselves. Besides that, I don’t believe we should ever become complacent in our walk with God. We should always be working and striving to do better and be better for The Lord and for our families. Please, let me caution you, this is not a name-it-and-claim-it, prosperity teaching, but as citizens of The Kingdom of Heaven, we’ve got to stop thinking small.

Our Heavenly Father has given us precious promises and they are not just for when we get to Heaven. God has given us ownership, but we have to take possession! This, my brothers and sisters, may require a fight. But don’t you dare give up if there are giants in the land. No, no, no! As heirs of The King, we have a right to be debt-free!