Those who know me well know I’m a big Dave Ramsey fan. He says silly things like “Debt is dumb. Cash is king.” And “Normal is broke. Be weird.” Those silly sayings are funny but they are not trite. Like many of the Proverbs, they are meant to shift our thinking away from the normal attitudes that our culture has instilled in us toward the radical thinking that comes from the Creator of the universe. Through following Dave’s teachings (most of which he stole from the book of Proverbs) and by the grace of God my family paid off $75,000 in 2.5 years and has been debt free for the past year.
Proverbs is a book of common sense. Unfortunately, common sense is not so common these days, and haven’t we seen this statement come to pass too many times in the last 3 years: “Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.” (Proverbs 22:26-27) So many people lost their homes because they were lured into the false security provided by the world.
The first century church encountered some tough economic times in parts of their world (as have people throughout the centuries). And what was their solution to the situation? “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.” (2 Corinthians 8:15 quoted from Exodus 16:18)
This is not socialism in the modern sense of the word where the government takes care of everyone. This is Christianity in the Acts 2:44-45 sense of the word where all the believers worked together so that no one was in need. How in the world do I go about doing something like this in America today? The answer is that “in the world” I don’t. But in God’s economy, all things are possible, the wise are made foolish, the rich are made poor and the humble are exalted.
Christ calls me to move away from the wisdom and riches of the world into his kingdom. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9)
God’s ways are the best ways. He calls me to be more than I am. He wants to mold me into the image of his Son so that I can be near him always in this life and the next. So many things pull me away from Him. I have recently read 2 books, Crazy Love and Sacred Marriage, that have challenged me to reevaluate how I live in the world and how I want to lead my family toward God. (I would highly recommend both books to everyone.)
Father, help me to listen to you rather than the world. Help me to follow your path so that I may be near you.