For those of you who want to get the best deals have fun today! Do not look for me! I would not be out there with a bunch of fighting people for anything! In fact, this begins my month of hibernating. I do not like to go to stores when it is like this! I finish shopping early so that I do not have the stress of being out during this time! But I do know most people love it and feel they save a lot of money. Here are some things to think about during the busiest shopping season of the year!
I just read this week that in America, almost one in five believe they will never repay their debt in their lifetime! What a huge burden to carry around! Recently I heard my minister say that MasterCard is called "Master" because that card is your master! He was just joking but there is a lot of truth to that. The Bible tells us that we are to only serve one master and that is God. Why would a credit card be our master? Proverbs 22: 7, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender."
No where in the Bible does it say that money is evil. It does say the love of money is evil. There is a reason that God knew He would have to tell us this! God knew with our free will and our greed we would get ourselves in trouble. I would bet most adults would say they did not always handle their finances smart! We were not wise stewards of our money.
Money can boss us around. Money can distract us. Money can keep us from the kingdom of God. Money can claim divine status in our life. Money can keep us from things of God. Obviously money can separate us from God.
The Bible does not say that debt is a sin BUT there are warnings about the dangers of debt. Deuteronomy 15: 6, "For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you." Deuteronomy 28: 12, "The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none." I know there are cases in which debt is not an option. There are medical emergencies, job layoffs and even bankruptcy. While our legal system allows individuals and businesses to file bankruptcy to regroup, as Christians we have a moral obligation to repay to the best of our ability.
I believe God will help us get out of debt but we have to do our part! Getting out of debt God's way begins with a personal relationship with Him. We have to stop spending more than we have. We have to be willing to change. We have to accept the financial shape we are in before we can begin to see God's blessings. We have to accept responsibility for what we have done. Ask Jesus to show you the lessons you need to grow. There is a freedom that comes with being debt free. You learn to lean on God for your daily needs. This lifestyle change becomes a solid foundation for the future. Remember, it took a while to get in debt and it will take a while to get out of debt. Remember, nothing is impossible for God! Luke 1: 37, "For with God nothing will be impossible."
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