Can I Borrow? Series

Can I borrow?

Deuteronomy 28:12 “The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”

Debt is not a good idea for a Christian who loves the Lord and would like to walk in His ways and follow all His commandments. Are you listening? Debts smother your peace and most important hinders your money in being channeled to the work of God. This is the most important point because true blessing comes when you bless God with your substance. Don’t check on ‘google’ for money management, you would have some moron give you wrong thoughts. Check the Bible. Why do I harp so much about money-management and also why do I set a ‘strict taboo line’ for debts is because I was personal witness to the devastation that money can bring upon a family and individuals. Having worked in the ‘credit card department’ as the personal secretary to the chief of the VP of a multinational bank, I know what I am talking about. Well, several around me in the bank, knew knacks to get more and more loans and other financial benefits from the bank, sadly none thought of repayment at the time of application of loan! The aftermath was disaster with several suicides and utter collapse that I was personal witness of! This message comes with a caveat to take money-management seriously and not flippantly!

After my encounter with Jesus, He delivered me from the snare of the fowler - that is MONEY – until today I fiercely stand against squandering money. Though I worked as an officer in the credit card department, with easy and instant installment facilities to purchase any kind of luxury that I set my mind upon, be it: car, glossy mobiles and various other electronic gadgets, I set my heart as steel and stood by His Word not to borrow. While several of my colleagues, traveled in classy cars, I still stuck to my scooter. I’m sure many would consider me weird! So be it!

I share my testimony, so that you understand the message of ‘money’ comes from my heart. Jesus spoke a lot of money, because He knew it was the root cause of all evil, read 1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” Without an aggressive love for God and His Word, you can never, never overcome temptation for money!

Every day I receive various queries about ‘money management’ and also about ‘loans’ and where one has to draw a line regarding loans. Friend, there are plethora of loans offered by a huge number of financial institutions and dubious ways to procure them as well. Car manufacturers have tie-up with financial institutions who woo you with colorful and endearing schemes. In some of the big shopping malls, you have financiers at the site of purchase who offer you instant sanction of loans. As I type I remember of the words of Jesus: Mathew 7:13”…for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”

Okay let us talk about it one at a time:

Housing loans:

As soon as young Engineers get a job, the first thing they do is to jump for a loan and buy an apartment. The temptations, options and opportunities are colossal to avoid without a firm grip on Jesus. Every other day you would be invited for a house warming ceremony of a ‘dream house’ built by a dream boy. If I tell you of the agony that happens behind the screen many of you would never venture into this area. After the opening prayer, the woman who built the house called me and confided that she had spent a lot of money without her husband’s consent who is in Dubai and now she was scared of her repayments. Another educated, elderly Christian couple had done all it takes to build a plush villa for their working daughter but alas when the daughter lost her job, the entire family were in a fix. Now, they repay the loan with a lot of struggle and the ‘opulent villa stands like a monument!’ I can site many incidents like the above who have made a wrong move regarding housing loans. There are still other senior citizens who invest their life earnings on initial payment and go in for huge housing loans, keeping their pension and rentals from the ‘new property’ in mind. This is highly dangerous. It robs them of the peace and joy of retirement, most important, they are not able to generously give for the Lord and His ministries. The result, they may have big apartments with the name of their children engraved on it, but alas the home lacks peace and happiness. I wonder how many would accept this message! Not many, though……Jesus said: John 6:27”….Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life…”