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I remember learning in high school about the craftiness of the former slave owners in the post-Civil War era. Yes, with the stroke of Abraham Lincoln’s pen, slaves were set free but there was a problem.
A big problem.
The slaves didn’t know how to be free, and the former slave owners took advantage of this immediately.
Slaves became free by law, but former slaves needed a job and really only had one skill to offer so former slave owners hired them back at a low wage. The former slave owners opened up a “General Store” for his “new employees” to shop. The former slaves didn’t make enough money, so the friendly former slave owner let them buy their basic goods like food and clothing on “credit.”
You see, the former slave owner had done the math and he knew with his high interest and their low wage, they would never be able to pay off the loan. As week after week went by, the need for basic goods enslaved them once again to their former slave owner.
Why would a free person knowingly step right back into slavery? Sounds foolish, right? Well, they were just trying to survive. They had one skill, one job offer on the table, and one store to shop from. Doesn’t sound foolish to me. I would have done the same thing to make sure my family didn’t miss a meal.
What is foolish, however, is choosing to get into consumer debt in the 21st century. You were born free, you have an assortment of skills, you can do multiple kinds of jobs, and you’re not forced to shop from one store that’s designed to enslave you.
Yet, with all this choice and freedom, “debt slavery” reigns among Christian singles.
Modern-day slave owners just have new names, such as Visa, MasterCard, Macy’s, Bank of America, etc. And these slave owners don’t have to be that crafty because, like sheep going to the slaughterhouse, we keep lining up and signing on their dotted line.
Why You Are in Debt and How You Can Get Out of It
The reason you have consumer debt is pretty simple:
1) You spend more than you bring in.
2) You do this because of your pride.
The Simple Solution: Lower your standard of living. As soon as you are ready to lower your standard of living, you can live free.
Just because you are an American does not mean you deserve a certain lifestyle – restaurant-quality meals, a new car, cool housing, the latest electronics, brand-name clothes, etc. You could lower your standard of living by 5 notches and still be living better than the majority of the planet.
You’re buying stuff that will be outdated in 2 years anyway. Why not do your future self a favor and be debt free 2 years from now instead of hauling a carload of stuff to Goodwill 2 years from now? You’ll have plenty of chances to buy the latest gadgets and fads once you’re debt free.
What’s debt got to do with your singleness?
Now is the simplest time to get out of debt. Do you think it’ll be easier to slash your spending with your spouse? He/she may not get on board right away – or at all. One of the best gifts you can give your future spouse is no debt.
What is life like for debt-free singles?
- They have more options.
- They are not tied to their jobs.
- They can pack up and move across the world at a moment’s notice without checking with Visa first.
- They are faithful tithers.
- They don’t need to get their finances “cleaned up” before they get married.
- They give money away every time the Holy Spirit leads.
Unlike the slaves of the past, you have options. Options to put yourself into debt and options to take yourself out of debt. As a single adult, you have a really cool moment in time to make money, steward your money, and use it to build the Kingdom.
Ten years from now, what “fruit” will this month’s paycheck show? Expansion of God’s Kingdom? Or stuff in a landfill?
If you know someone who is single and is struggling with a load of debt, would you email them this post to encourage them?
