Debt

Debt... even typing the word out sends chills up and down the spine of both my wife and myself as we sit here. And when she saw that I was serious about this entry, she decided that tonight would be a great night for her to put our oldest to bed. Oddly enough, she fell asleep upstairs for about thirty minutes.

So, for starters, what is debt? Put simply, debt is money owed to someone else. In a more complex view, it can be not only a cause, but also an effect of divorce. (Kinda weird that they both start with a "D," huh?) In fact, uncontrolled spending habits, when mixed with an economy like the one we are currently weathering, along with low wages generally lead to an increase in debt; which leads to an increase in arguments over money; which can lead to divorce; which leads to more debt on both sides. Even Shakespeare knew that you should "neither a borrower nor a lender be." So why do we get into debt in the first place?

Wait a sec... my name starts with a "D." You don't think that means... nah!

Well, the house is an easy explanation. Most people do not have enormous sums of money just sitting around, waiting for the home purchase to come up... but they could! Imagine what your life would be like if you actually HAD saved your allowance and your first earnings, and then made intelligent investments with it. And as for the automobile debts, all I can say is that we all fall victim to the dreaded trade-in ploy, and the promise of no negative equity based on rebates. I know, because I used to sell people on it every day. But there are a growing number of people unwilling to pay the notes for more than four years, and some who are waiting it out until they have the cash in hand before making a purchase! Awesome!!! (Sounds like something we might all want to make our children do, huh?)

But credit cards... those are another animal altogether. And, as I read in an article today, I believe that it is symptomatic of one or more Biblical principles. Greed, poor communication, selfishness, gluttony, lack of self-discipline... these things all relate to how a married couple interacts with each other, as well as to the Bible itself. In popular American society, the whole idea is to get bigger, better, faster in almost everything. There is no stability in that; no security in that; no structure. (Much like the way your interest rates are with a credit card!) And we begin to see how the root of all evil (the love of money) is slicing into the very core of the first relationship in any home; the marriage! If ever there was an example of being "in this world and not of it," this would be the poster-child.
Rom 12:2

I'll not claim to be free of these chains myself, as we are not yet complete with our plan. But we have one. I will also admit that we do not execute as well as we would like. However, I can tell you this with absolute certainty: we tithe more now than we ever have, and have started to embrace our role as stewards of His blessings. That alone has eased so many things! Because embracing who we are, and Whose we are, along with the responsibilities thereof is a HUGE part of the life we have chosen to live.
1 Pet 4:10

I implore you tonight, both husbands and wives alike, to spend time looking over finances and praying together... TOGETHER. Stand up for the legacy that you have chosen to leave behind by taking an active role in how it plays out! We did, after all, make the bold statement, "Until death do us part." And, as I recall, there was another phrase in there, "for richer or poorer." And, like everyone, I truly hoped that the "poorer" part would never come. But it did. And then it passed. And it may come again. That is life. That is love. And I wouldn't trade the hard work to see it through for anything!
Eccl 4:9

The more important part, though, is being ready for it. Reinforce your wall with some financial wisdom and planning. That way, the "money monster" has less chance of getting inside!

God bless you all!!!