Our Scripture for today is Proverbs 22:7
“The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.”
We live in the richest country in the world and at the richest time in history. Despite this, in 2016, one study showed that 66 million people have zero savings for an emergency. That is nothing, nada, zilch, or zero for an emergency. That means they are one emergency away from being in a panic. Can you guess what percentage of people will face an emergency? If you said 100%, then you are right. Of course, they can probably borrow, but then, “The borrower is slave to the lender.” At least, that is what the Bible says.
After 50 years of preaching and decades of counseling folks who deal with financial struggles, I’ve heard a few rules. Here’s one:
While I was still in college and living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, a salesman drove to my house to sell me some expensive cookware. I couldn’t afford it, so I listened but declined to buy what he was selling. When he was leaving, he looked at me, a young, newly married, broke, college kid, and offered me these “wise” words: “People say that if you can’t afford to pay for what you want, don’t buy it. They are wrong. As long as you can make the monthly payments, then get it.”
He sounded wise to me, but now I know he was either financially stupid or lying. According to today’s Bible verse, he was saying that it is okay to be a slave to the lender. Maybe he just did not know the number one rule of being a good money manager. Here it is:
“If you always spend all you earn, you will always be broke.”
You may know someone who seems to be an exception to this rule, but wait until tomorrow, or the next tomorrow. The emergency is on the way. That’s life.
These are not scare words. They are reality. The Bible tells me so!
Lonnie Davis