Is there a connection between debt and a failure to live a missional life in suburbia? Let me briefly explain why I am beginning to see the connection…
On Sunday mornings we are currently working through the book of Romans. In the early chapters of Romans Paul explains our desperate need for the gospel and how we receive it. Then in the second half of the book Paul is describing what the gospel looks like when it is lived out. Not surprisingly, chapters 12-13 tell us that one of the primary manifestations of the gospel is love.
But then Paul goes in a direction that initially caught me by surprise in Romans 13:8, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” My first question was how in the world does debt relate to the gospel and loving others? But the more I thought about it I began to see Paul’s point and just how incredibly relevant it is for us today!
Let’s deal with the obvious questions first; does Paul mean that debt is always wrong? Is it wrong to borrow 5 bucks off a friend for a mocha latte? Is it wrong to be making payments on your car? Is it OK to have a mortgage on your house? I don’t believe Paul is teaching us that debt is wrong in every circumstance. Scholar Douglas Moo in his commentary, “The Epistle to the Romans” points out, “This command does not forbid a Christian from ever incurring debt (e.g., to buy a house or a car); it rather demands that Christians repay any debts they do incur promptly and in accordance with the terms to the contract.”
Back to my original question; how does debt relate to love? Paul is highlighting a major barrier when it comes to the second greatest commandement in all of Scripture, loving others as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). Love is not merely a doctrine we learn and sing about, it describes the way we live and act on a daily basis. One of the ways in which we show our love is by giving generously both to God and to others. But in suburbia we are caught in this vicious cycle of always buying, upgrading, remodeling, craving…more stuff. And we find oursleves in debt up to our eyeballs and we wonder, is there a different way to live? Here are a few questions that I have based on Paul’s warning about the danger of debt…
- How will we spend the next raise we receive at work?
- Why do we Americans usually think we don’t have any money when the stats tell us we are the richest people in the world?
- What does this command by Paul (paying off our debts) have to say in regards to the trend of filing for bankruptcy?
- Do our church budgets reveal that we care more about ourselves or others?
- Do we use the money God has given us significantly different than the guy next door?
- Which are we more excited about, using our money for ourselves or God’s kingdom?
- How does the way we spend our money reveal what we love?
- How is the mission of God hurt by our debt?
- What are the factors at work in our suburban world that make it so difficult to be content with what we already have?
Paul wanted the new church in Rome to live out the gospel in practical, generous ways. Obviously Paul knew debt would keep them living for the kingdom of this world, and not the Kingdom of God. I find that I have to constantly remind myself of these important truths.
Michael, great questions. Debt has been a constant for us. The thing that gets me with debt is that, while we who make an average income in middle-class america are supposedly in the richest .05% richest people in the world. BUt were not because of debt! It hit me while I was in Africa, the woman who lived in a small (i mean SMALL!) home and owned a few small things, had better net worth than me. why? because I am so much in debt.
of course, the big difference between the two (and this is significant) is I have a means moving out of that because of my income. She does not. But, what does it say that I make more than 99% of the people in the world yet I have a worse net worth than someone who lives in a slum in Africa? It doesn’t say so much about them but I think it says a heck of a lot about me (us).
i hear you todd! our family is in the same boat! a great way to begin seeing and understanding our own culture is by visiting another one…numb is the word i think of when it comes to this problem, we just become numb to it…
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I think you make some great points here. One of the things Esther and I realized was that when we wanted to really start living missionally and giving more of our time and money to things we cared about we really couldn’t. We had bought our dream house and along with it came a big mortgage and a lot of work that was holding us back. I’m convinced that how you set your life up will determine the way you live. Most people feel the need to first set their life up, and then figure out how to serve from that place instead of the other way around. Fortunately I was able to land a job that relocated us, and with that opportunity we have been able to reset the way we live and were very excited about the freedom that gives us.
yep dave, we do many times get it backwards…we buy as much as we can afford and many times more than we can afford and then there is little left over to give generously…i have made this mistake too many times myself. at least God is opening our eyes now to a better way to live, we can be thankful for the Spirit’s work…
Michael,
Great questions you have raised!
I once had the opportunity to fall into serious debt. bankrupt to be sure. In college, I failed to record a significant withdrawl and christmas time was rolling around and I was out buying presents with money I didn’t have. The bill rolled in an way more than I expected it to be and I went to pay the bill with money I thought I had an alas it was not there. Now I was only like $500 in the hole but to a college student who didn’t make a lot of money, that was a lot. From that point on I vowed never to be in debt again! I began to listen to Larry Burkett on the radio and picked up a few of his books and began to employ the wisdom I learned from him.
Happy to report that other than the mortgage on the house I am living debt free. It has made all the difference in the world. I have the freedom to use the money that God has given us to worship him. I have had the opportunity to financially help out in many endeavors and it has been a true blessing.
I have many friends who make a ton of more money than I but because of poor decisions they have incurred tons of debt. It seems funny because most people would laugh at the fact of me being in the hole $500 back then. To most people these days it is a drop in the bucket of debt most have accumulated but it was a warning sign to me.
This is one area that I think we as Christians really need to take a serious look at. We are stewards of His money and need to use it accordingly. I look forward to ways that I can use what he has given me to further His kingdom and agenda. It saddens me when we as Christians get caught up in the things of the world and dump our precious money on worthless things. We need only look at our checkbook or credit card statement to see what we truly worship.
Great sermon and post. Preach on!
“Debt is the slavery of the free.”
Thanks for joining the conversation Erik! Sounds like you are in a pretty good place. The best thing is when we actaully do learn from past financial mistakes (i.e: going into credit card debt for a vacation). But sometimes we just keep repeating history instead of learning from it…
“Debt: An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slavedriver.”
-Ambrose Bierce
http://www.culture-making.com/articles/were_rich
Great post that continues, from a slightly different angle, the conversation about money and following Christ…
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