Conquering Debt

What do you do when you’re so far into debt that you’re facing foreclosure on your home? That was the question my husband of forty years and I were asking ourselves. We were also wondering, "How did we get so deep into debt?" We both knew the answer was credit cards.

Tom and I have been married since we were teenagers. We’d beaten all the odds set against us: teenage pregnancy, employment changes, and the purchase of our dream house on a couple acres of land. No one thought two skinny kids would stay together and succeed--but we did.

We attribute this completely to our faith in God. Even though we came from different religious backgrounds, we joined together to raise our three children. From the very beginning of our relationship we went to church together and prayed for our family.

Unfortunately, however, we didn’t live according to God’s Word when it came to money. In the course of raising three children and falling into the habit of wanting material things, we got to the point where we were refused more credit because we couldn’t meet the monthly payments.

Tom and I prayed each night to win the lottery or for some other solution to our problems. Yet we both continued to use our credit cards until one day we were cut off. One by one, credit card companies began sending us notices requesting payment in full. I remember getting down on my knees beside my bed one night and begging God for an answer to our problem.

God does answer our prayers but not always in the way we ask. I was reading my Bible shortly after asking for God’s help with the bills. I found a passage about problems caused by money in Matthew 6:19-21. The Lord said, "Do not store up riches for yourselves, here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven. For your heart will always be where your riches are."

That was me! I was so worried about how I was going to pay these credit cards, while still wanting to acquire more credit, that I wasn’t listening to the Lord. I was praying for money, not praying for my heart to be changed.

I went to my husband and told him about my revelation. We sat down together and put all of our bills out on the table in front of us. We couldn’t be mad at each other because we were both guilty of credit card abuse. So we talked about our plan of action, a plan that would work for us and follow the Lord’s Word.

The one staple in our financial basket of tricks was our first mortgage company. Over the years, we had kept our mortgage paid on time and in full. So I called them to see if we could consolidate all our bills into one mortgage payment. After several minutes on the phone, I was told this company could help us. Tom and I smiled at each other. There was finally light at the end of our debt tunnel.

The next day, an underwriter called me requesting more documentation on all of our credit card companies and I faxed everything to her. Then, right there in my office, I got down on my knees and prayed. I prayed for God to forgive me for my selfishness in wanting material things and for abusing the use of credit cards. I prayed for strength to cut up every credit card and to stop living beyond my means. Most of all, I thanked the Lord for showing me the way.

God didn’t give us the easy way out. He did not let us win the lottery and He didn’t make the debts go away. He led us to do the right thing by paying off our debts in an affordable way, while showing us we didn’t need to be selfish and wasteful.

Yes, we did cut up our credit cards. We continue to thank God for helping us keep our home and for giving us good health to be able to work each day. We may not be able to retire as early as planned but we know we are on the right track now. Praise to God!