LIVING ON THE DEBIT

Proverbs 22.7, 26-27
LIVING ON THE DEBIT
"The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

PROVERBS IS A BOOK THAT CON-FRONTS the realities of life. It observes and describes life. It does so at times without telling us if what is true in life is good or bad. An example is found here: "The rich rule over the poor...." Likewise, 10.15 tells us, "The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor."

We cannot deny that wealth brings with it many advantages. With riches come power, security, prestige and influence. The poor lack all these things, at least in the eyes of the world. Solomon was rich beyond description. He surely enjoyed the many blessings of his riches. He did not despise it, though he did warn against trust in wealth (e.g. 23.5).

But we should note that he warned against poverty too. It is the tragic destiny of the sluggard, and the disobedient son (6.11; 13.18). Poverty comes upon those who are too stingy with their money (11.24), as well as those who are too free with it (22.26-27). In the latter, a person who gullibly and unthinkingly puts up security or guarantee for another person's debts may find himself going bankrupt when things go wrong.

So is the person who borrows money and spends himself into perpetual debt. As commentator Matthew Henry comments, "Some sell their liberty to gratify their luxury." In modern society, we are encouraged to spend beyond our means. Various credit facilities are provided for us as incentives, one of which is the ubiquitous credit card. With the card, you spend without actually seeing the money coming out of your purse or wallet. This gives rise to the illusion that someone else is paying for your purchases.

In addition, most credit card companies do not require you to pay all you spent for the month. You pay only a part of it, and the rest you settle, with interest, later on. This again creates the impression that you have a lot of money to spend. But it is all a fantasy. You have become a borrower, and a servant to the lender. Worse still, you have become a slave to the obsession to spend.

God commands us to be good stewards of what He gives us. We are to be neither stingy nor spendthrift. We are to be thrifty and responsible in our use of our money. The apostle Paul's injunction provides the guide, "Owe no man anything...." (Rom 13.8, KJV). Within certain reasonable limits (e.g. loans for housing and car), we need to guard against living on the debit.

Do I spend beyond my means?