How to Start the Climb out of Debt
By Rick Warren
“Don’t withhold repayment of your debts” (Proverbs 3:27 TLB).
God makes it abundantly clear in the Bible how he feels about debt: “Don’t withhold repayment of your debts” (Proverbs 3:27 TLB). Romans 13:8 says, “Let no debt remain outstanding” (NIV). God declares the same wisdom that most of us have intuitively: Debt is not a good thing.
When we look at where we are right now, most of us would be willing to pay as we go if we could just finish paying for where we’ve been. But God wants you to repay what you owe so he can bless you in your finances. In order to do that, you’ve got to commit to do it, and then you’ve got to have a plan to do it.
First, you have to commit to do it. You’ve probably noticed that it’s easy to coast into debt. You don’t even have to think about it. But you cannot coast out of debt. You’ve got to make a U-turn and start a long climb back up the hill. That requires a tough decision and a commitment to the time and discipline it will take to get out of debt.
It’s easy to feel alone in this uphill climb. But God knows right where you are! He understood this was going to happen a long time ago. He wants to help you with your problems, to strengthen you through your problems, and to grow you in the midst of your problems. He is with you in this challenge. You are not alone.
First you make a commitment, and then you make a plan.
Having a plan is essential. Getting out of debt is a step-by-step, day-by-day task. And it involves a word that most people hate: discipline. It means not doing this, not buying that, resolving to do this, deciding not to do that. The Bible says in Proverbs 21:5, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (NLT).
If you’re in debt, don’t ignore this warning from the Bible: Watch out for hasty shortcuts. If you’re in debt, you’re in pain and you want to get out of pain as quickly as possible. So you’re extremely prone to this temptation.
Don’t go after hurried shortcuts. Look for God’s plan. Make a commitment to the plan, and decide that you’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish your goals.
Imagine where you could be in a year if you took diligent steps to be free of debt. Then, resolve to take those steps every day, relying on God’s wisdom and grace to do the hard thing.
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