Money Rant

I must admit that I’m still in shock over the mammoth bailouts that took place several years ago. They defy logic, sound absurdly too bad to be true, and yet, hello America! This is reality. What really gets me is that this wild bailout thing happening on a grand scale is actually very much happening right down to the little house in the woods I live in.

It seems we in America have been fed (and eaten at least three times a day) the lie that we can build our future by borrowing money to do so. It’s a stupid thought, yet we have all heard it enough that it has become a “truth” of our civilization. How many people do you know that have zero debt?

Someone once said that the borrower is a servant to the lender. Yes, and someone else once said that where your money is, there will your heart be. And someone else once said that money is a fantastic slave and a horrific master. In the wake of our debted-out lives, I challenge you to take and chew on these three statements for a few moments, and you will not want to borrow another cent.

First Truth: The borrower is a servant to the Lender…

It’s true; when you use someone else’s money, they’ve got you by the throat. Think about it, you borrow money to buy anything and don’t pay it back on time, and anything you buy is no longer under your roof (or in your garage). So really, the act of using someone else’s money for exhibit “A” means that they now own a piece of you. After all, you now work to pay them whether you want to or not. Doesn’t that pretty much sound like slavery to you?

As nice as it is to be able to “buy” something the day we see it, the truth is we don’t actually “buy” anything when we pay the cashier. Instead, we sell a little piece of ourselves to hold onto something that belongs to a bank down the street. Sell a little bit of ourselves? Sound a bit harsh?

What Happens When We Can’t Pay Up?

So what happens when you can’t pay up? You lose your reputation, self-respect, and sanity… lots of you go down the drain, right? And that part of you they hold onto until you’ve fully paid them back their money, they hold as captive. They, frankly, have power over you.

And then, even if you can keep up with your payments, you still must know that you’ve given up a part of you called the smart part. The part of you that is screaming (even if you’ve pushed the mute button and can’t hear it) how stupid it is to pay money to use money. Or the part of you that wants to be in authority over what you live in and use. Or the part of you that doesn’t like being a slave to some stranger, nor at their mercy for the sake of some pretty stuff.

You were created to thrive, make money, expand, invest, and have mastery over everything in your life, including the big bad dollar. Borrowing money goes against your God-given conscience and dumbs down your IQ.

Second Truth: Where your money is, there will your heart be also. 

When Jesus said this He was not trying to be hypothetical or smart. He was stating a fact. Jesus was very wise and clear while teaching on earth. This little statement basically points out the obvious fact that where you owe, there you will go, mentally, emotionally, and relationally. If your future earnings are tied up in a payment or several, where do you think your heart will be as you work and earn? Resting within you peacefully? Enjoying the responsibilities of the day? I’d bet you’ll be very much aware of the fact that you MUST work, you MUST make your payments, or you WILL be busted.

This is emotionally draining because this takes you out of the place of authority over your life (the place you were created to be) and tosses you in the backseat with all your toys. If you have no choice but to work for someone else to pay someone else, you will feel (no matter how subtly) strung out, spread thin, and robbed of that great sense of being in charge of what you do. And that’s if all goes as planned and you pay things off on time (still paying heaps of interest), so you never face the repo people or the bank.

Finally, The Third Truth: Money is a fantastic slave and a horrific master.

Read that over three times out loud, nice and slow. Let it sink in. You can take your paycheck and save and invest; your money will work FOR you. This is lovely, it’s easy, and it takes very little knowledge while reaping great rewards for you and yours. Money works (unlike your office help) without complaint or need of mentoring etc. In fact, money will never take a sick day on you either. But let it be the master, let it own you, and you are toast. You will never face a more concrete, unbending, demanding force. Not ever.

If you liked this, you might also like Drowning in Debt | Biblical Perspective on Debt 

Claire Worley writes from the Pacific Northwest.

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