The Devil is a liar, and perhaps one of the biggest lies the majority of Christians believe these days is that because debt is so widespread and most people have it, therefore it must be ‘normal’, acceptable and just a part of everyday life.
The truth on the other hand is that when the Bible talks about debt, the majority of messages are warning messages, consider this from Proverbs:
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
Proverbs 22:7
Debt – the silent killer
Debt is bad news, both for the Church itself and for its members. The truth is debt is destroying the Church. Many of your members are not able to give much, not necessarily due to a lack of willingness to give, but because they are literally ‘drowning’ in debt, from their mortgage to their credit card.
The Church has a responsibility to our members, indeed to broader society, to warn them of the impact of debt, and teach them that there is a better way. The Church should also be the example and lead the way by living debt free. I will guarantee you that if you have a God given vision, then God has his way of helping you to achieve it!
I love this passage from Deuteronomy:
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.
Deuteronomy 28:12
Debt is not sinful, but it sure can be foolish. I love this passage for a simple reason. It is God who is able to bless us, who can meet all our needs, who knows and cares for us. The truth is, most Christians don’t trust God and use the world’s ways to get what they want, rather than rely on God’s provision.
So I have a message for all Pastors – slay the Debt Dragon!!! He is wrecking your Church and holding you back from achieving the Church’s vision.
Stop justifying it with modern western expressions like:
- Everybody has debt at some point or another
- If you don’t have debt, you will never own a home
- Debt is a necessary part of life
These are a far cry from what the Bible says. It is time the Church set the example and led the way by showing what a debt free, God-provisioned life looks like.
Fifty years ago, few people saw debt as a good thing, and few people embraced debt with such ‘gusto’. Today in the United States, between the Government, business and households, they have collectively accumulated greater than $60,000,000,000,000. This is an accident waiting to happen, and aside from being immoral on future generations, has a massive flow on effect to the Church.
As a Church Leader one of your roles is to help people to live God’s ways, rather than the world’s.
Reflection
Do you know the true state of your flock? How indebted are they? What are you doing to bring their finances back in line with the word of God? What can you do to prevent them from becoming slaves to debt?
Call to Action
Spend time as a Leader investigating what God’s word says about debt. Ask God to reveal to you his will for debt in your own personal life, your Church and the lives of your members. Create a talk for your Church Service that addresses the issue of debt in our society, and teach them what God’s word says about debt. We need to offer our members a different approach to what the world is offering and show them that God has the answers.