How to Start the Climb out of Debt

In Proverbs 3:27 it says, “Don’t withhold repayment of your debts.” (TLB)

God makes it abundantly clear in the Bible how he feels about debt. Proverbs says, “Don’t withhold repayment of your debts” (Proverbs 3:27 TLB). And in Romans you can read, “Let no debt remain outstanding” (Romans 13:8 NIV).

You probably already know this intuitively, but God makes it clear in the Bible: Debt is not a good thing.

Yet many people find themselves drowning in debt. Moving forward, they would be willing to pay as they go if they could just finish paying for where they’ve been.

That’s what God wants for us as well. He wants us to repay what we owe so he can bless us in our finances. But working our way out of debt isn’t easy. First we have to commit to do it, and then we need to make a plan for it. Let’s look at those two steps.

Commit to getting out of debt. 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 on this uphill climb. But God knows right where you are! He understood this was going to happen a long time ago. And in the midst of your problems, he wants to help you, to strengthen you, and to grow you. He is with you in this challenge. You are not alone.

Make a plan to get out of debt. Getting out of debt is a day-by-day, step-by-step task. And it involves a word that most people don’t like: discipline. It means 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. And it’s tempting to take shortcuts.

But instead of chasing hurried shortcuts, look for God’s plan. Then commit to the plan, determined to 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. 

God’s Correction Is for My Good

In Job 5:17 I read, “Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you." (GNT)

If I’m running from what God has called me to do, there is something I should know: God is calling me back to him.

He knows that the longer I run, the worse life will get. And he wants to get my attention before it’s too late.

Even though God is patient, he won’t let me ignore his call forever. God loves me just the way I am, but he loves me far too much to let me stay that way.

One day he’s going to get my attention.

The prophet Jonah found this out the hard way as he was running from God: “The storm was getting worse all the time” (Jonah 1:11 GNT). The more Jonah ran, the worse the storm got. Jonah’s running had consequences.

It’s the same way for me. When I run from God, eventually I’ll find myself surrounded by storms.

Sometimes those are the storms of God’s correction. But when God corrects me, it’s not negative. It’s because he loves me!

Loving parents discipline their children because they love them and want to see them change their behavior for their own good. God is the same way. The Bible says: “Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you” (Job 5:17 GNT).

As the storm got more intense, Jonah’s shipmates asked a question many people ask when troubles build: “What should we do . . . to stop the storm?” (Jonah 1:11 GNT)

The answer is always the same. I must completely surrender my life to God. When I surrender, peace comes.

Jonah did this. He responded, “Throw me into the sea, and it will calm down. I know it is my fault that you are caught in this violent storm” (Jonah 1:12 GNT).

It was Jonah’s first unselfish act, and his first step toward a fresh start. He admitted he was the cause of the storm, and he surrendered to God’s will.

If I’ve been running from God’s plan for my life and now I’m facing a storm, surrender to God. I can do this with confidence because God is for me, and he’s calling me back to him.

In summary, “happy” is the person whom God corrects! So do not resent it when he rebukes me. If I’m running from what God has called me to do, God is calling me back to him. The longer I run, the worse life will get. And he wants to get my attention before it’s too late. Even though God is patient, he won’t let me ignore his call forever. God loves me just the way I am, but he loves me far too much to let me stay that way. One day he’s going to get my attention. When I run from God, eventually I’ll find myself surrounded by storms. Sometimes those are the storms of God’s correction. But when God corrects me, it’s not negative. It’s because he loves me! Loving parents discipline their children because they love them and want to see them change their behavior for their own good. God is the same way. I must completely surrender my life to God. When I surrender, peace comes. If I’ve been running from God’s plan for my life and now I’m facing a storm, surrender to God. I can do this with confidence because God is for me, and he’s calling me back to him.

It is a blessing to be disciplined by God when I do wrong. These words show a discipline that has been almost forgotten. Pain can help me grow. These are good words to remember when I face hardship or loss. In Job's case, because he did not understand why he suffered, his faith in God had a chance to grow. God does not eliminate all hardship when I follow him closely, and good behavior is not always rewarded by prosperity. Rewards for good and punishment for evil are in God's hands and given out according to his timetable. Satan's plot is to get me to doubt God's love and faithfulness toward me. 

Making Every Step Count

In review of 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 this morning, I read “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing” (NLT).

Winning a race requires purpose and discipline. Walking with and obeying Christ takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. Don't just observe from the grandstand; don't just turn out to jog a couple of laps. Rather learn to train diligently, as my spiritual progress will depend on it. Self-discipline requires me to take an honest look at my strengths and weaknesses with an emphasis on the latter. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside me screams yes. When I have self-discipline I can say no to friends or situations that would lead me away from Christ, or say no to laziness in favor of "can do" and "will do." Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and channeling my natural appetites towards God's purposes. 

Spiritual growth must be purposeful. I do not know how many days I have left. My next breath may be my last. So every step in my journey with Jesus should be taken on purpose.

I must be disciplined. To become the person God wants me to be, I must deny myself. When I do so, I won’t get to do everything that others do. I can’t follow everyone else’s plan and follow God’s plan at the same time. Being a disciplined disciple of Jesus means sometimes taking the more difficult path.

Olympic runners must give up all kinds of stuff that other people do in order to go for the gold. They must go to bed at a certain time. They must eat a certain way. They must train in a certain setting. They must deny themselves. They must count the cost.

Every step, Paul says, must be purposeful. That’s how I’ll finish the race God has marked out for me. Don’t be tempted by shortcuts. Rather stay on the straight and narrow path, and keep pressing forward toward the goal. Remember the purpose God has called me to. Remember the example of Jesus, who used his time on earth for God’s glory and was not distracted by the things of this world. So make every step count.

In summary, like an athlete who is discipline in their training, I too must run with purpose in every step. Walking with and obeying Christ takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation. Don't just observe, or make half hearted attempt, rather learn to train diligently. It's a steady course in learning the attitudes that do not come naturally, and channeling my appetites towards God's purpose. Every step must be done with a purpose. Make every step count.

In retrospect of these verses and what they mean, I find myself getting distracted with work activities. Other times I find that I just want to find a shortcut to get there sooner. My morning times are a great help toward filling me with perspective. I need to keep them in mind beyond the morning time and consider how to keep them at the forefront throughout the day. I pray today Father that your help me with having your Spirit within me remind me throughout the day. I also pray and ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. Help me with the perspective to make every step count. These things I ask in your Son Jesus name, Amen.

Never Give Up

In review of Hebrews 12:2, it says, “We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne!”

Bottom Line:

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross and it’s shame. Now He sits at the Father’s right hand.

What this means to me:

As my example I can look to Jesus, who leads me and makes my faith complete. He endured all kinds of shame in being nailed to a cross, because he know what laid ahead and what his actions would do for all mankind. Now he is seated at God’s right.

We are surrounded by a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith. Therefore, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. I can do this by keeping my eyes on Jesus, my champion who initiates and perfect my faith. He did so because of the joy He saw awaiting him and endured the cross and the shame associated with it. Now he sits on God's right hand side. So I shouldn’t forget the encouraging words God spoke, to not make light of His discipline, and not give up when He corrects me. For the Lord disciplines those he loves and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.

Also, I do not struggle alone, and I am not the first to struggle with the problems I face. Others have run the race and won, and their witness stirs us to run and win also. I need to give up whatever endangers my relationship with God. To live effectively, I must keep my eyes on Jesus. I will stumble if I look away from him to stare at myself or at the circumstances. I need to be running for Christ, not myself, and I must always keep him in sight.

When hardship and discouragement come, it's easy to lose sight of the big picture. But I'm not alone; there is help. Many have already made it through life, enduring far more difficult circumstances than what I'm experiencing. Suffering is the training ground for Christian maturity. It develops our patience and makes our final victory sweet.

I’m reminded this morning that it was the priceless value of my eternal soul that drove Jesus to endure the cross. To Jesus, I am a priceless treasure. No one else will love me like God does. So when life becomes difficult and the pain is choking out every positive reminder of the blessings in my life, meditate on this: “God loved me enough to send His one and only Sun to die in my place.”