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…”
The scene is no better with the Christian ministers, in fact, it is worst than the secular world! I am very sad to say this. Huge loans are taken from the bank and churches built very luxuriously under the banner, ‘it is for my Big Lord!’ In the end, the pastor has not only lost sleep but has also lost peace and his anointing because of lack of time to pray. Let me clearly state here, servants of God are never to borrow and conduct meetings or built our ministries, let us wait upon the Lord to show us the way. Debt-free I am able to write this piece of message on money boldly and firmly after more than a decade of working for the Lord, our various projects include:
WORSHIP JESUS MINISTRIES which handles evangelism and crusade meetings ( Abide in Christ fire camps that are held yearly and village ministries)
SHILOH REVIAL CHURCH planted in Hyderabad
DAILY DELIGHT daily devotions that is sent around the globe through our internet ministry.
ABIDE IN SCHOOL planted in Hyderabad, catering to the poor and under privileged children.
ABIDE ANGEL HOME taking care of the orphaned and kids of single parents as dare-care unit as of now.
I would like to tell you that I have not approached any sponsor or an Organization or sent out circulars for finances, we run the above projects purely on faith on God and His resources; with lots of prayers and fasting though. My training of handling finances started from day one after I accepted Him in my life.
Loans are a snare! They club you with their tentacles and keep you as a slave.
Can I borrow or not?
Friend, this question cannot be answered in a single line, borrowing depends upon the person and the circumstances. Let me tell you what I feel, young people who have just joined work, first learn the nuances of money management, let your wallet also have the touch of God, learn to save rather than to borrow. We got to learn to be self-controlled and content, when you fill your mind with the Word, you are awed by His vast power to bless us, hence thoughts of ‘loans’ do not haunt us. The huge rental problems in several towns need not be tackled by purchasing an apartment instantly through unwise loans. Think! Housing loans involve huge initial payment, documentation charges, stamp duty charges, registration charges and much more I guess. Calculate everything meticulously, there are clever foxes floating around to mesmerize you, be careful !
When does a need become a greed:
I have to get really personal if I have to tell you all the sacrifices that I had to make in order to obey His commandments. For several years I had to wear out my washing machine, lap top, grinding machine, car and bike until it came to its last leg because I firmly stood against loans. If you ask me if I had any temptations, my answer is ‘enormous!’ I controlled my emotions and held my credit card firmly and never gave in to greed and that’s why I could sit several hours at His feet and gaze at His beauty! As I write this portion on my laptop, there is no electricity power, but I passionately type in the midst of the heat around me. The devil does whisper, ‘why not buy an inverter on your credit card?’ I gave him a punch on his nose and I continue to sit in the heat and type this message on ‘money’ ……..
I can never write this message from a comfort zone! Anybody listening?
Which is not a need for the people of this generation? Luxurious apartment in an upscale market with landscaped gardens have become a necessity today, air conditioner and car are no more considered as luxury. For people who swap mobiles and household things for the new, swanky ones my message would be obsolete and archaic!
Sorry for the digression, coming back to what is ‘need’ and what is ‘greed’, that which is essential is need and the rest that gets you into problems is greed. When you are currently paying a huge installment, getting into another purchase through installment would be highly greedy. Friend, we got to be willing to pay the cost of personal discomfort, inconvenience and hardship in order to be an effective Christian rather than be an impulsive, emotional, wayward person.
The Bible says:
1 Timothy 6:17”Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”
