The Borrower’s Chains

Elisha the prophet was approached one day by a desperate widow. Her husband had been one of the prophets, a man who feared God. He had died in debt, and now the man he owed was coming to take her two sons as slaves to pay it off.

Elisha asked her what she had in the house. Nothing, she said, except a small jar of oil. He told her to borrow empty jars from all her neighbours, as many as she could, shut the door and start pouring. The oil kept flowing until every jar was full. Then Elisha said, “Go and sell the oil, and pay off your debt. You and your sons can live on the rest” (2 Kings 4:7).

It’s a story of God’s miraculous provision. But it is also a story about how terrible debt can be. In the ancient world, debt could cost you your children’s freedom.

Debt is a kind of slavery

“The rich lord it over the poor, and whoever borrows becomes the lender’s slave.” (Proverbs 22:7)

That’s a hard word, but it’s true. When you owe money, you are not completely free. Part of your future income already belongs to someone else. Every month a portion of your work goes to pay for the past instead of building the future or giving to God. Debt limits your choices. You may not be able to change jobs, move, give generously, or answer a call from God, because you have to keep up the payments.

Debt is also expensive. Interest means you pay far more for something than it costs. With high-interest credit cards or payday loans, that can be ruinous.

And debt often brings anxiety, conflict in marriages and shame. Many people carry debt like a weight they never talk about.

Is all debt sin?

The Bible doesn’t say that all borrowing is a sin. The law of Moses gave rules about lending, which assumes that borrowing happened, and it told the Israelites to lend generously to their poor neighbours. Jesus said, “Give to anyone who asks you, and do not turn your back on someone who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42). Most people need to borrow to buy a home, and a carefully planned mortgage can be wise.

But the Bible clearly treats debt as something to avoid where possible and get out of as soon as you can. Paul’s command is: “Do not stay in debt to anyone, except for the debt of love you owe one another” (Romans 13:8). The only debt we should carry forever is the debt of love.

And the Bible is clear that we must repay what we borrow. “The wicked borrow and never pay back, but the righteous are kind and give freely” (Psalm 37:21). Failing to repay, when you are able, is a form of theft.

Be careful with guarantees

Proverbs repeatedly warns against another kind of debt: putting up security for someone else’s loan.

“Do not be one of those who shake hands on a pledge and guarantee other people’s loans. If you cannot pay, why let them take even the bed you sleep on?” (Proverbs 22:26-27)

That sounds harsh. Shouldn’t we help our friends? Yes, but Proverbs is wise. If you guarantee someone else’s debt, you are promising to pay if they can’t, and you lose control over your own finances. Many friendships and families have been broken this way. If you want to help someone, it is often better to give what you can afford to give, rather than to guarantee what you can’t afford to lose.

Getting free

If you are in debt, don’t despair. Many people have walked out of debt with God’s help, and so can you. Here are some steps.

Stop digging. The first rule of getting out of a hole is to stop digging. Don’t take on any new debt. That might mean cutting up a card or closing an account.

Face the facts. Write down every debt you have: who you owe, how much, the interest rate and the monthly payment. It can be frightening, but you can’t defeat an enemy you won’t look at.

Make a plan. Use the money plan in Appendix 2. Find every bit of money you can free up. Many people pay off their smallest debt first, to build momentum, then roll that payment into the next. Others start with the highest interest rate, to save money. Either way, have a plan.

Get help. There are free, trustworthy debt advice services in many countries, and many churches have people who can help. There’s no shame in asking. Pride keeps more people in debt than poverty does.

Keep giving. It might seem strange, but don’t stop giving altogether, even if your gift has to be small for a season. Giving keeps your heart free from money’s grip, and it reminds you who your Provider is.

Pray. Ask God for help, for wisdom and sometimes for provision. The widow in Elisha’s day did exactly that, and God answered.

Be patient. You probably didn’t get into debt overnight, and you won’t get out overnight. Celebrate every debt you pay off.

Freedom

The Bible’s picture of the good life includes freedom from debt. Picture what it would mean to owe nothing to anyone. Every pound or dollar you earn would be yours to manage for God: to live on, to save and to give. You would be free to answer God’s call wherever it led. That freedom is worth working for.

And remember the gospel. We were all deep in a debt we could never repay, a debt of sin. Jesus paid it all. He taught us to pray, “Forgive us what we owe You, as we too have forgiven those who owe us” (Matthew 6:12). The deepest freedom is already ours in Christ. Getting out of financial debt is a small picture of that great freedom.

A voice from the past

Spurgeon’s John Ploughman gave this advice about lending and guaranteeing:

“Very often he that his money lends loses both his gold and his friends, and he who is surety is never sure.”

Charles H. Spurgeon, John Ploughman’s Talk

Practice this week

Make a complete list of every debt you have. Pray over it. Then decide on one concrete step toward freedom you can take this week, and take it. If you have no debt, thank God, and ask whether there’s someone you could help, perhaps by giving rather than lending.

For groups

• Why does Proverbs compare the borrower to a slave? Have you experienced that?
• Read Romans 13:8. What is “the debt of love”?
• Why do you think Proverbs warns so strongly against guaranteeing other people’s loans?
• What is one thing that keeps people from getting help with debt? How can a church help?