Topic: The Reality of Debt [Tony Evans Ministry 19 March 2020]

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In His Presence: Proverbs 13:22  

Financially speaking, there are three kinds of people: the haves, the have-nots, and those who have not paid for what they have! Debt has become a way of life in the American landscape. The average American household spends at least 20 percent of their net income on consumer debt. We must understand that when debt rules, debt ruins. Proverbs 22:7 says: “The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Debt controls your life, so it puts you in a kind of slavery. There are several reasons for debt: ignorance, indulgence, poor planning, and emergencies. All these things can contribute to the snowball of debt.

But I believe that God provides a way for us to live without being controlled by our debt. Debt is owing something you cannot pay, and that kind of debt should be abnormal for the Christian because it is outside God’s will. Debt is first and foremost a spiritual issue—we are in debt because we have refused to obey God.

Psalm 37:21 says:“The wicked borrows and does not pay back.”  Ecclesiastes 5:5 says: “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.”But also: “TheLord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” (Deuteronomy 28:12).

We can be set free from the tyranny of debt, and there are four steps that can help us: plant, plan, prioritize, and pray.

One Minute Please

Knowing the truth about debt is the first step toward financial freedom.