• What thoughts pop into your mind when you hear the word, “debt”?
• Do you sigh heavily and Praise God debt doesn’t affect you?
• Are you working on it….working toward paying off your debt and have an emergency fund “just in case”? or....
• Do you find beads of sweat developing on your forehead as you battle feelings of sheer panic?

Debt…it touches each and every one of us…in one way or another…whether in our personal lives or in the lives of someone we love…and as a people who love God, it is imperative we look to His Word to find out what His thoughts are about debt.

There are many different philosophies out there when it comes to Bible teachings on debt. Some Christian financial teachers believe that any and all debt is evil and should be avoided at all cost…Some believe that God has no opinion on debt—if you are able to meet your expenses then debt is ok—it is simply a “means to an end” and yet, others believe debt is acceptable for large purchase (eg: your home or your car) but not for day to day purchases.

What should be our attitude toward debt as Christians?

While there are many verses in the Old Testament and the New Testament regarding debt, one of the most important ones is found in Romans 13:8. There we read, “Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another.” NIV.

According to this passage, the only debt God’s people should have is the debt of “love”; or as the NKJV translates it, “owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”We are to owe nothing to others…except love…and by loving others we are fulfilling the law of God!

But is this realistic in this day and age? Is it possible in 2009 to be debt free? I say, YES! It is absolutely possible! I truly believe that when God calls us, He equips us. He will give us the tools, the strength and the ability to live debt free. Will it be easy? Not necessarily. However, easy or not, God calls us to live our lives free from financial debt.

In His Word the only debt we are to have is love. In fact, Love is the greatest commandment Jesus gave to us. In the book of Matthew, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is this, Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Imagine with me for a moment…how could you express love to your Lord and to your neighbor if the only debt you carried was the debt of love?How would your life look different? In what ways would you be able to pay “the debt of love” you carry? Exciting isn’t it? The possibilities are endless..Feeding the poor, helping out that widow next door, erasing your Church’s building fund, or one of our personal favorites—while at your next meal in your favorite restaurant, surprising your favorite waitress with a cool $100 tip!

Are you excited yet unsure of if you can even get a handle on your finances? If God has called you to being debt free or to simply better manage your resources...HE will provide you with whatever it is you need to kive Him through obeying Him!

Although there are multitudes of resources written on debt management and financial freedom, only a handful is from a Biblical perspective. One of the most thorough we have found is The Complete and practical guide to Christian financial freedom. The beauty of this program is that it not only teaches you how to get out of debt, it also teaches you ways to increase your income. What a blessing—debt free and increase your income...it is a match made in heaven! I encourage you to check it out!