Under His Construction

• Feb. 25, 2008 - Inheritances: The Biblical Answer to Debt?

In our debt ridden society that we currently live in we have grown up with the view that going into debt at the beginning of one's life after leaving home is the normal. We take out college loans because this is just how it is done right?  We believe that there is no other way to start a marriage then to go into immediate bondage to the banker in the purchase of a home. Over the last few years God has been challenging to rethink these ideas and measure them against His Word. So what do I find? Well for one, I now regard getting a college degree with less value than I used to, in fact I find no value in it when it comes to secular institutions with only few exceptions, but that is another topic for another time. In my research I am seeing that God has a lot to say about building inheritances for our children to be passed down from generation to generation. Not just money inheritances mind you, but spiritual ones as well. A quick word search of the word inheritance at Blue Letter Bible brings up 203 verses in which the word appears 239 times. This is not even including all the related words that would be connected. in the OT God set up rules and regulations for how inheritances were to be passed down. Proverbs is loaded with verses about the wisdom of passing down an inheritance (spiritual and monetary) and what the character of a child should be in order to be worthy to have that monetary inheritance passed on to them. And while this inheritance can be passed on when the parents die it is by no means limited to this. We today tend to think that this is to be willed to our children and passed on when we die, Does God put these limits on it or do we? Isn't this really His money to be used for His glory? Can it be used to help our faithful children get a fresh start in life without going into debt? Can it be used to aid them in their endeavor to serve the Lord according to His calling? It is interesting to look down through history and see that while debt is the normal of today this has not always been the case. Families did not used to just live "in the moment" for the here and now. They took their God given roles of training their children up to serve the Lord seriously. To build up an inheritance to be passed down from generation to generation to be used for God's kingdom. Going into debt was frowned upon. Don't believe me - ask your grandparents and even great grandparents if you have that option. Ask the elderly in your church. But don't go by that alone, go to the source of truth. What does God's Word say concerning debt? Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower [is] servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7 In Deuteronomy 28 God told the Israelites that if they obeyed Him (verses 1-2) one of the blessings would be that they would not need to borrow from anyone (verse 12) but if they disobeyed (verse 15) they would be cursed and one of these curses would be that others would lend to them (verses 43-44). As with most everything in this post Christian culture we have forgotten the wisdom of the Bible. We have forgotten that God has the answer to all situations including debt. We have embraced debt and view it as the only means to getting an education and buying a home. We no longer hold to a generational view of families. We have quit looking at building an inheritance as a tool to be used for the kingdom of God and passed onto our future generations to continue that work. We are allowing our children to begin their lives in debt. I encourage each of you to research this as a family and seek God for wisdom in how to break this cycle of debt bondage in your own individual family. It truly begins with each home. For further Biblical insights into this problem and practical solutions based on Scripture get yourselves a set of these wonderful DVDs.

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