5 Reasons Paying Off Debt Is God's Plan for Us
Finances
Audio By Carbonatix
6:32 AM on Wednesday, March 4
By Michelle S. Lazurek, Finances
This past week was one of the best days of my year. I made the final payment on a large loan I've had for about three to four years. This loan amount was so large, the minimum payment was the cost of two car payments! I went to the Lord and sought his guidance and asked him for his help. Whenever I got extra money (even though the temptation was to keep the money) I paid down more the loan. I was able to pay off the loan four years earlier than expected. This is a great accomplishment for me and one for which I worked hard. By paying off this loan, I can set my sights on bigger goals like paying off student loans or my home. But I would never be able to do that without paying off this loan first. I doubled down on paying off this debt even though I could use the money towards other things. Because of this, it has helped me take one step closer in my journey of being debt free.
Dave Ramsey, Larry Burkett, and other financial experts all tell us that is important for our financial health to be completely debt free. But often, car and home repairs, illness, and other factors prevent us from ever achieving that goal. It is best for our mental health to have that loan completely gone. Here are some reasons why it's vital to double down on debt and be debt free:
First, focus on God's plans for me.
Jesus had no home, and it was debt free. That was because he didn't want anything to stand in the way of what God was calling him to do. In the same way, God doesn't want anything to get in the way of what he wants for us either. Having debt is being a slave to the lender. When I paid off that loan, I was no longer a slave to the lender. If I didn't make my payment on time, it would wreck my credit score and, therefore, would be enslaved to our current jobs. Whether God wants us to live out our lives in worship to him (including our work), he does not want us to be enslaved to our jobs for money. He wants us to live out our purpose the way he has asked us to.
Second, he wants us to live free lives.
This includes our financial health. He doesn't want us to worry about finances. When I have big loans, I constantly worry. I spend endless sleepless nights worrying about how to pay down that debt. When the debt was paid, however, I was able to sleep better and not worry as much. As my income is sporadic, it's difficult to rely on it. Additionally, in this difficult economy, no one's paycheck is secure. Anyone can get laid off at a moment's notice, therefore, losing their current paychecks. It is important to save when we can and not spend foolishly thinking there's another paycheck around the corner. It is important for us to live financially free so that if we need to make any life changes, we're able to do so.
Third, he wants to be good stewards of what he's given us.
To be good stewards is to take responsibility for being frivolous with our incomes and maximizing our paychecks. Good stewardship means paying our bills, saving accordingly, and giving to our local church body. Whatever is left over is able to be saved or used to pay down debt. It may be difficult to do this on the current income, but perhaps taking a temporary side job will help save until we can get financially free. Even paycheck to paycheck is not necessarily all our fault, but doing something to make a little extra money to pay down current debt is important.
Fourth, he wants me to be an example to others.
As a writer and speaker, I am naturally in a leadership position. Therefore, I must be the best example of Christ I can be to others. While this does not mean I have to be perfect in any way, I need to make sure my life is a demonstration of a life driven by Christ and his desires for my life. Being a leader puts a certain amount of pressure on me, but in some ways, that's a good thing. If I wasn't a leader, I might be more apt to live my life the way I want without any sort of recourse. Yet, as the leader, I'm accountable to the people who read my work. Additionally, as a pastor's wife, I must be an example to my local church and other churches who might be watching me. Furthermore, I am an example to the unbelievers. Wherever I go, people are watching me. If people saw me act inappropriately in public, and then came across my writing online, they may feel I'm being hypocritical or not a good demonstration of the Christian faith. While God allows me the grace to make mistakes and forgives my sins, I know that's not an excuse to be the best example of balancing truth and grace with everyone I meet.
Fifth, money is a privilege, not a right.
Everything that I have is provided. God provided me with a husband that supports me, a second job to supplement the bills, and an extra income at times so I can pay down any extra bills when I can. Because I live in America doesn't mean I necessarily am owed a job. I must work just like everyone else. Therefore, everyone needs money to survive. When I'm generously giving away money, I'm confident God will give more to me. We must use the money in the proper way, not spend it foolishly and assume God will just provide more. When he is ready, he will give me more money, and he's ready to increase his blessing on me. I also must learn contentment if I don't receive more money than God's planned for my life.
Scripture is clear: "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender," (Proverbs 22:7). God wants us to be free in every area of our lives. He wants us to be free to choose him. This includes every area of our lives, including our finances. When I give freely of my money and use it to make a difference within the community and in my world, I do a good thing in God's eyes. God wants us to be cheerful givers and giving away every area of our money to others. God wants us to be debt free so he can use us freely. When we have debt, we're becoming enslaved to our jobs and must make a certain amount of income to pay off the debt. The quicker we can pay off debt, the less likely we become enslaved to the authorities above us who exploit us for their own gain. When we say no to debt, we say yes to God and his plans for our lives.
Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spritual Reset Podcast. Her new children’s book Hall of Faith encourages kids to understand God can be trusted. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.
