Further Thought: The three-step process of debt elimination is actu-
ally found on one page of Ellen G. White’s writings. Emphasis has been
added to highlight the points.
“Be determined never to incur another debt. Deny yourself a thousand
things rather than run in debt. This has been the curse of your life, getting
into debt. Avoid it as you would the smallpox.
“Make a solemn covenant with God that by His blessing you will pay
your debts and then owe no man anything if you live on porridge and
bread. . . . Do not falter, be discouraged, or turn back. Deny your taste,
deny the indulgence of appetite, save your pence and pay your debts.
“Work them off as fast as possible. When you can stand forth a free
man again, owing no man anything, you will have achieved a great
victory.”— Counsels on Stewardship, p. 257.
If you need additional help to become debt-free, try these points:
Establish a budget. Make a simple budget by keeping a record of all
your income and expenses/purchases over a period of three months.
Many are surprised to learn how much money they spend on unneces-
sary items.
Destroy credit cards. Credit cards are one of the major causes of family
indebtedness. They are so easy to use and so hard to pay off. If you find
that you aren’t paying off the cards in total each month, or that you are
using them to purchase items that you would not otherwise have bought,
you should destroy your credit cards before they destroy you or your
marriage or both.
Begin economic measures. Sometimes we aren’t aware of how much
we could save on our monthly expenses just by being careful about some
of the small things that we purchase. They quickly add up.
Discussion Questions:
Ê The amount of debt that many nations, as well as individuals,
have taken upon themselves is staggering. What has been your
own experience with debt and the problems that debt has created
for you or others?
Ë What could your local church do to help members learn to
manage debt or financial issues in general?
Ì What are some Bible promises that you can claim to help pro-
tect yourself from the lure of the world and the financial dangers
greediness can pose to us?
