In a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to be financially free, people are willing to look anywhere for some advice that can serve as a "lifeboat" to help save them from the sinking ship that is their finances. The problem is, often times the services advertised as "help" are actually sharks waiting to devour anyone who is jumping ship.
Loan sharks start out very friendly, disguising their lucrative plans to basically own you by pitching their offer as an opportunity to silence debt collectors once and for all. "Borrow from us, and never worry about that credit card company (charging 25% interest) coming after you again!" or "Don't lose your house, we'll help you pay rent this month!" Did you know that some loan sharks charge up to 719,000% interest? Yeah, you read that correctly.
I've spent the past few months working diligently on clearing up my outstanding debts and becoming financially free. I believe Jesus meant it when he said "You can't serve both God and money." When you are in the position of a "borrower", the lending agent has more control than they would lead you to believe. You can get upset, argue, and even choose to not pay... But don't be fooled, they will get theirs eventually (plus all the interest and fees they imposed because of the time it took to collect from you).
If you are in the middle of a financial mess, rather than racking up a balance on a MASTERcard, or borrowing from a company you never heard of that seems so generous in their weekly flyer, take a minute and read this story of a woman you may be able to relate with...
"A certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, saying, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. And the creditor is coming to take my two sons to be his slaves.”
So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”
Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.”
And he said to her, “There is not another vessel.” So the oil ceased. 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.”
(2 Kings 4:1-7)
What do you do when you are at risk of losing it all? When you feel like you have NOTHING left to work with? Are you listening to the plans others are making for your future, or do you trust the future God has planned for you?
God is quoted saying, "For I KNOW the plans I have for you. Plans to PROSPER you and not to harm you. Plans to give you HOPE and a FUTURE."
He also says,
"Seek, and you will find.
Ask, and it will be given to you.
Knock, and the door will be opened."
Does this mean that God will give us everything we want if we ask? No, not at all.
It's a promise that if we seek Him and ask Him for His Will he will deliver.
"But the word says that God wants to give me the desires of my heart?! How come he hasn't? How can I trust someone who has let me down?"
God wants to place HIS DESIRES in our hearts, so we crave the things that God wants for us. When we focus on the stuff we don't have (enough money, latest tech, travel experience), we forget the gifts from God that matter (peace, joy, family, health, salvation through Jesus, life itself).
In a bind? Turn to Christ. Put down the credit card application. Stop stressing for a moment and have a one-on-one with God. I'm certain that you'll find Jesus working in your crisis.
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