The American economy is in trouble. Daily reminders are abundant. We cannot go to a news source without being reminded of it. Radio talk show host and their callers all have their opinions. Most of us paid little or no attention to The Federal National Mortgage Association or ‘Fannie Mae’ until we started to see that the real estate industry was headed for seriously hard times. Home foreclosures started to become all too common and unemployment numbers steadily rose. It was not long before churches started to feel the pinch of this with a decrease in giving. While politicians in Washington continue to debate this issue, how should a Christian respond?
Let’s focus on the individual Christian by considering where we stand on the matter of money and particularly debt. John Morgan, in an article entitled Financial Integrity, makes the following observations about how to get out of debt:
- · Transfer ownership of everything you have to God.
- · On the first day of every week, return an offering to the Lord as a reminder that all we have belongs to Him. (1 Corinthians 16:2)
- · Stop all spending that is not absolutely essential.
- · Stop all new indebtedness immediately.
- · Put all extra income into debt retirement.
- · Sell all depreciating items for which you are now in debt and replace with a less expensive item if necessary.
- · Closely examine food costs and cut at least fifteen percent off your food bill.
- · Do things yourself that you are presently paying others to do.
- · Set a challenging goal for debt retirement and make any sacrifice to reach your goal.
- · Make getting out of debt a family effort.
It is time to stop complaining about Washington and the White House and get our house in order. The steps above, if taken seriously and done with a committed effort can make a difference. Look them over again. What would happen if you made such a commitment?
Think about it.
Pastor Chuck
