Understanding Financial StewardshipSample

How Much Debt Is Too Much?

I don’t believe owing a bill for a few days or weeks is tantamount to debt. I’m speaking here about the sort of debt that leads to financial bondage. You know you’re in debt when you …

· Can’t pay your bills as they come due.

· Start putting off the payment of one bill in order to pay another.

· Feel pressure regarding your bills.

· Become worried about how you’ll pay your bills

· Start looking for quick fixes or quick ways out of your debt.

The truth is, debt can lead to a host of attitudes that affect your spiritual life negatively.

First, debt creates stress, anxiety, and deep frustration. Debt becomes an overwhelming mental preoccupation for many—your first and last thoughts each day are about whom you owe, how much you owe, and what you can do about what you owe. In this mindset, you’re not in a position to hear from God about His priorities for the use of your time and resources. Ultimately, unpaid debt can lead to fear—a deep anxiety that you’ll never be out of debt. And fear is the opposite of faith.

Second, debt places a strain on family relationships. Money concerns are among the primary causes of family arguments. Mismanagement of money can smother love. Don’t allow that to happen in your home! When disagreements interrupt the free flow of loving communication in your home, you’re facing a problem that has spiritual dimensions to it.

Third, debt causes you to become resentful of others. Rather than reach out to others, you begin to avoid those you owe and, at times, those who know about your indebtedness. Debt can cause you to distrust those who seem to have no money problems. It can cause you to become envious. These are not godly attitudes.

Fourth, debt hurts the testimony of a Christian. It’s difficult to declare to the world that you’re trusting God to meet all of your needs when you’re deeply in debt. Your credibility is destroyed.

Debt affects your spiritual life in negative ways because it keeps you from listening totally to God’s directives for your daily life. It keeps you from being used by God to help others. And it causes you to forfeit your peace and flexibility when your life is burdened by debt.