DEALING WITH DEBT

Debt. For some people, it's as certain as death and taxes. Often, it
may even appear to be a "necessary evil" along the road to financial
security.
As debt increases, it tends to follow a similar pattern: a credit card
here, a loan there, a mortgage, maybe an occasional impulse purchase,
and before you know it, you're sitting atop thousands upon thousands of
dollars of unpaid bills.
These bills come every day, disguised in nondescript envelopes and
transported with a smile by the postman. But hiding inside those
envelopes is your own personal prison, preventing you from living with
freedom and confidence.
Debt leads to stress, worry, and anxiety. It affects every area of
life,from your friendships to your career. And, as all too many couples
discover, unresolved debt can ruin a marriage.
But in the midst of this financial despair, there is hope. God did not
intend for us to live in debt. He has a plan for our finances. He wants
us to save and spend our money wisely. And, more importantly, He
expects us to give back a portion to Him. Only then, when we surrender our
finances to God through tithing, will we begin to experience the
blessings He has in store for us.
We have a choice: follow the world's financial plan or follow God's
financial plan. The world tells us to take, take, take. Society wants
us to stockpile everything we obtain into a reservoir of material goods.
But it's a cycle that never ends. The more we get, the more we think we
need. And then, when we're gone, what do we have to show for our lives?
Our desires are never satisfied because, in trying to seek happiness in
material things, we have forgotten our ultimate need-God. Searching for
meaning outside of God is an empty, hollow pursuit.
God's plan for us is much different than the world's. While society
tells us to take and accumulate, God tells us to receive and
redistribute. "For by your standard of measure," Luke 6:38 says, "it
will be measured to you in return." Whatever we give, God will bless us
accordingly. Will He always bless us financially? No. But we will see
His presence in our lives. God will begin to provide for us in ways
that we never thought possible; all we must do is give.
Instead of stockpiling our earnings, God asks us to tithe, to give to
others, and to do so cheerfully, not begrudgingly. As 2 Corinthians 9:7
tells us, "God loves a cheerful giver." He wants to bless us, to use us
as a channel- not a reservoir-so He can utilize us to bless others.
What do we give to God? In His Word, He asks us to give back to Him at
least ten percent of everything we earn. For every dime we make, God
wants a penny. And he wants the first penny, not the last; we should
never give God our leftovers (Proverbs 3:9). As the saying goes, "Give
God what's right, not what's left." If we don't tithe, we are taking
from God what is already His (Haggai 2:8). Malachi 3:8 says, "Will a
man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, 'How have we robbed You?'
In tithes and offerings." We are actually robbing our Creator!
God's plan is simple: give and receive. Sometimes it's hard for our
mere human minds to understand how God works. How can we give when we're in
debt, when we can't even make bill payments on time?
But that's where trust enters the picture. "Trust in the Lord with all
your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Proverbs
3:5-6). All we must do is trust in God, and He will provide for our needs.