THRIVE DEBT vs FREEDOM: I've Been Robbed

⁶ “But soon their captives will taunt them.
They will mock them, saying,
‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!
    Now you will get what you deserve!
You’ve become rich by extortion,
but how much longer can this go on?’
⁷ Suddenly, your debtors will take action.
They will turn on you and take all you have, while you stand trembling and helpless.  Hab. 2:6-7



NO THIS IS NOT ABOUT GUN CONTROL.  THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING FOR or AGAINST GUN CONTROL....but it is about being controlled by decisions that lead one into debt, and the consequences that the debtor is left with.   If this was the way people got into debt, it was totally understandable....because you are being intimidated and to some degree forced to do something you wouldn't ordinarily do.   But the reality is that....this isn't how we end up in debt.   Some of you might be saying, Ray you don't understand my situation and unless I charged _______________________ or signed up for _____________________________ they were going to.........or you were going to have to what?  Is not having the utilities on the worse thing in the world?  I can say that....because in my adult life I've dealt with having both disconnected.  Praise GOD that we were made to suffer long enough to realize....we need to be better managers of our finances.   I've charged gas.....and boy did I pay for it, and I'm just now getting out of that stupid hole.....but  more than anything debt robs you of peace, the opportunity to give to God, and obscures your ability to trust GOD or anyone.

You wonder when are they coming to get the car.   You wonder and hope they don't call your job.  You can't rest wondering if and how you will explain to the kids why?   Debt is like this gunman....it doesn't care about you, your family......it only cares about taking from you the freedom that Christ gave...and what's sad is that you swap it for temporary gratification. Yeah....I said it, and I mean it...it's temporary: the shoes, the dress, the purse, cell phone, the tools, the TV, the car at some point are no longer current. Society says you need version 6, only to turn around 6mos later to tell you this newer version is the ONE.



When you, when we are in debt...you can't help anyone...all you think about is your needs.   This is not how God's people are to be, remember we are TO BE THE LENDERS...but instead we are enslaved because of our own borrowing.  Lastly when we are in debt because all we can see is our debt, and the hopelessness of it all....we have difficulty seeing the way of escape is through the very WORD of GOD.   We have difficulty understanding how giving to GOD will cover us....but unless we have FAITH, and surrender our jacked up ways of doing finances, and embrace His.....every pay period will be a STICK UP!  LOVE GOD (enough to trust His ways and WORD are true), and LOVE PEOPLE (LGLP)!