The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. Proverbs 27:12
“There is nothing more to be dreaded than debt; when a person, whose principles are good, unhappily falls into this situation, adieu to all peace and comfort; the reflection embitters every meal and drives from the eyelids refreshing sleep.”
Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) in Day’s Collacon, compiled and arranged by Edward Parsons Day (New York: IPPO, 1884) 166.
When, at every turn, marketers want to offer you debt to purchase things with money you don’t have, say to yourself: “Danger!” As the proverb begins, “The prudent see danger and take refuge.” In plain terms, steer clear of the trap.
As Taylor notes, debt causes us to lose peace, comfort, and even refreshing sleep because it burdens the present by making presumptions about the future. How can we avoid it so it does not hinder our generosity?
If you have debts, pay them off starting with the smallest one first. Tell a friend so you have some accountability. Celebrate small victories as you pay them off, one at a time. “Take refuge” by building a basic budget to help you live with the means God has supplied for you.
Pay cash for purchases (or use credit cards to get points or miles and pay the bill in full each month). Save for a year or even a decade for major purchases, and for advice on Avoiding College Debt, click to read the Christian Leadership Alliance blog I recently wrote.