HOW DID I GET IN THIS MESS? (2 OF 4)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Proverbs 22:7
This content is part of a series.
How Did I Get In This Mess? (2 of 4)
Series: Escaping Financial Bondage
Jeff Strite
Proverbs 22:7
OPEN: Years ago, I had a friend who attended a Bible Study at my home. He shared with our study that when he graduated from High School, he had a life goal. His life goal was to be a million dollars in debt before he reached the age of 30… and THEN he'd declare bankruptcy.
He said he was more than half way there when he became a Christian. As a Christian he realized that he had to responsibility for those debts and he'd just recently paid them all off.
Now, a couple of observations:
1st - Bankruptcy is not a shameful nor ungodly option. Our nation's bankruptcy laws are loosely based on the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 15:1-4 says: "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
(In the US a citizen can declare bankruptcy every 7 years).
This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you"
So, bankruptcy laws are in place to help when people get in over their heads. But my friend in the Bible study understood that he just gotten in over his head… he had deliberately incurred debt he had initially no intention of repaying. The words of Psalm 37:21 haunted him: "The wicked borrow and do not repay…" and so he fought to NOT go bankrupt.
So - first - bankruptcy is not a shameful or ungodly option.
In fact it is a Biblical way of dealing with debt that has gotten out of control.
2ndly - people have borrowed money for centuries - even in the Old Testament.
Have you ever heard of Dave Ramsey. He and other financial teac ...
Series: Escaping Financial Bondage
Jeff Strite
Proverbs 22:7
OPEN: Years ago, I had a friend who attended a Bible Study at my home. He shared with our study that when he graduated from High School, he had a life goal. His life goal was to be a million dollars in debt before he reached the age of 30… and THEN he'd declare bankruptcy.
He said he was more than half way there when he became a Christian. As a Christian he realized that he had to responsibility for those debts and he'd just recently paid them all off.
Now, a couple of observations:
1st - Bankruptcy is not a shameful nor ungodly option. Our nation's bankruptcy laws are loosely based on the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 15:1-4 says: "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.
(In the US a citizen can declare bankruptcy every 7 years).
This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you"
So, bankruptcy laws are in place to help when people get in over their heads. But my friend in the Bible study understood that he just gotten in over his head… he had deliberately incurred debt he had initially no intention of repaying. The words of Psalm 37:21 haunted him: "The wicked borrow and do not repay…" and so he fought to NOT go bankrupt.
So - first - bankruptcy is not a shameful or ungodly option.
In fact it is a Biblical way of dealing with debt that has gotten out of control.
2ndly - people have borrowed money for centuries - even in the Old Testament.
Have you ever heard of Dave Ramsey. He and other financial teac ...
There are 18181 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
