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Good Debt vs. Bad Debt: In today's post we discuss what the apostle Paul says about Love and why it is the best type of debt to have!
Scripture: Romans 13:8 - Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
Devotion: Do you feel empty? Is there something that is missing in your life? If you said "LOVE" then you might be in luck.
Today, we are going to address the topic of love and debt.
Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor.
Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase.
In this case, the value is LOVE, as the definition states is a series of payments, which differentiates itself from an immediate purchase.
Meaning LOVE, is not something that you buy or exchange once and that’s it. It is something that is given over time again and again and again. And in most cases, with what?
Interest!
But why would the scripture say that it is okay to have a love debt outstanding?
And how is that a fulfillment of the law?
To answer these questions, let me give it some context.
In the beginning of the chapter we see Paul encouraging us to pay our taxes and debts in full. And not just monetary debts, but he states that we should give honor for honor, and respect for respect. And because Love does no harm to your neighbor as the commandments say…loving your neighbor is a fulfillment of the law.
So once again, why did they say that love should be the only debt you should remain outstanding? Because...
Loving people should never be an obligation that is to be fulfilled. You should continue to love people with all of your heart.
When you have truly experienced love, words don’t come that easy. You are trying to describe something that you can only feel. It is like trying to explain to your ears how to taste, or explain to your feet how to breathe.
They are just different experiences and everyone is not going to understand.
Love is unique and it is subjective.
Yes, there are some guiding principles that have proven to be effective. Listening, physical touch, compassion, empathy, and all that good stuff. But true love is finding the combination that works in your situation, which is between you, God, and the person you love.
I get asked all the time. I have multiple kids. Can I just give them equal amounts? That is fair right? And my response is the same,
When you love your kids equally, then you will deal with them uniquely.
Each child and person needs a unique combination of love and attention. Love is not one size fits all.
I tell everyone, when you meet someone, find your recipe. Don’t let the world tell you what love should look like. Love is personal. It is not a community project.
For example, time is a form of love.
We all have a limited amount of time on this Earth making time even more valuable.
We don’t know if we are giving the people we love our last 5 minutes or just one of our 20,000 remaining blocks of 5 minutes.
So when someone gives you their time, that is love because they are saying, "I am living for you!"
They are also saying, "I want to share this moment of life with you."
Love is a custom fit. And if God is Love and God is infinite, then love is infinite, and just because someone has love for someone else, doesn’t mean they love you any less.
It says in 1 Corinthians 13:4; "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
I had a conversation with someone and we were talking about life and what makes a good meaningful life.
And I said, education can strip us of our life experiences. We spend hours studying the lives of our heroes, promising never to repeat their mistakes and we get so consumed with information, we are almost paralyzed and unable to make decisions about life out of fear of making one of those mistakes.
So we play it safe.
We are successful in the secular sense but our life still lacks meaning.
Love gives our lives meaning.
Love is a life experience that you can’t read about. You can only live it and that is why it is so strong.
So today, I want you to go out there and love. Love as hard as you can, for as long as you can. And make an impact in someone's life.
As the scripture states, the debt of owing love to the world should be a debt you never want to pay off.
Prayer: Lord, allow love to fill my heart and spirit. For those that I love, may they know that love is infinite. I pray that I will continue to make continued payments for love with actions, and an open heart.
Thank you for reading!
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About the blog:
Many Christians struggle with the seemingly conflicting views about our faith and the pursuit of financial gain. They were taught that poverty was piety and that a lack of money was the only way to truly detach themselves from the love of money. Our blog debunks some of those claims, teaches you that you can be rich and righteous, and at the same time fulfill your obligation to tithe and give to the less fortunate. We are dedicated to helping you become cheerful givers by organizing your personal finances, providing investment tips to help you create wealth, and encouraging you to create a gifting strategy that will make your family and God proud.
Meet the Author:
A.B. Ridgeway, MBA (info@abrwealthmanagement.com) is the owner and Christian Financial Advisor with A.B. Ridgeway Wealth Management. With a decade in the finance industry, his goal is to give believers clarity around the most confusing topic in the Bible, money, and tithing. A.B. Ridgeway helps tithing Christians become cheerful givers but unlocking their money-making potential, so they can prosper and be the great stewards of the wealth God has entrusted them with.
This communication is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy, hold or sell any financial instrument or investment advisory services. Any information provided has been obtained from sources considered reliable, but we do not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of any description of securities, markets or developments mentioned. This is strictly for information purposes. We recommend you speak with a professional financial advisor.