Cents and Sensibility

Proverbs 22:7 reads: The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

My husband and I have been going through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University.... we are only on week four, however, I have already learned so much. In the first lesson he states that Money is amoral... neither evil or good... so what makes it evil? I Timothy 6:10 says that For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. It says, the love of money... I kind of translate it to the love of things that money can buy...
Now, I love shoes, and shopping (most of the time)... but when I don't have any money, its not as fun. When I was in college, I used those little plastic cards that allowed you to spend without money... it proved to be a pretty big problem when the bills started coming in. I began to feel like I was drowning... and even then, I was still buying things that I didn't need.
In the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, the main character Rebecca Bloowood loves to shop, so much in fact, that she has gone into horrible amounts of debt. Struggling with her debilitating obsession with shopping and the sudden collapse of her income source, Rebecca unintentionally lands a job writing for a financial magazine after a drunken letter-mailing mix-up. Ironically writing about the very consumer caution of which she herself has not abided, Rebecca's innovative comparisons and unconventional metaphors for economics grants her critical acclaim, public success, and the admiration of her supportive boss Luke. But as she draws closer to her ultimate goal of writing for renowned fashion magazine Alette, she questions her true ambitions and must determine if overcoming her "shopaholic" condition will bring her real happiness.
She describes that she first began believing in magic when she saw these girls at a shop, using magic cards instead of money to buy things... She then uses the analogy: A man will never love you or treat you as well as a store. If a man doesn't fit, you can't exchange him seven days later for a gorgeous cashmere sweater. And a store always smells good. A store can awaken a lust for things you never even knew you needed.
The thing about debt is that, if uncontrolled, can pile up... like sin in our lives... like the stores, Satan can put in your head a lust for things that you never thought that you wanted or needed... We often let sin rule our lives and like debt, it piles up... sometimes causing spiritual bankruptcy... but the best part is, forgiveness is just a prayer away. don't go into spiritual bankruptcy over something you don't really need. I've learned that doing the things I want to do have far worse consiquences than not doing them.... like debt... you don't "need" that new computer, when your old one works just fine, or a new shoe collection (even though they are gorgeous and would go perfectly with that dress you bought)... but I digress. Remember Proverbs 22:7... don't be a slave to Satan and sin...
You don't have to be a slave to debt either... Needless to say, after my credit cards were paid off, closed and cut up, Stephen and I started using the envelope system... it's funny because suddenly, the things that you think you need become less impormant when you only have $30 for the week.
We are not out of debt, however, going through the first five weeks of FPU, I've learned a lot about making money work for you instead of against you... Remember, The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
If you haven't taken Financial Peace University, I'd encourage you to... even if you have no debt... there are some great resources that are offered to the members, along with a peace of mind when it comes to your money.
Have a great day!