Did you hear a scream echoing through the air yesterday? If so, that was Ana and I yelling, “We’re debt free!”
About 15 years ago, we were $60,000 in debt (not counting the house) and barely able to stretch our finances from paycheck to paycheck. Then I heard about Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, which was being offered at our local church.
After learning the common sense principles Dave teaches, Ana and I started putting them into practice. With gazelle intensity we started knocking down our debt, “living like no one else, so someday we could live like no one else.” I was amazed how quickly we were able to pay it off, once we put our minds to it.
Through the ensuing years we haven’t always been as gazelle intense as we were at first and we haven’t always done the best at following the Baby Steps. In spite of that, yesterday we paid off the mortgage on our house! Praise the Lord! We are finally debt free!
There is one debt, however, no amount of money could ever repay – the debt of sin. Paul says of us, “Because of the weakness of your human nature…you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin.” (Romans 6:12). Try as we might, we can not set ourselves free.
Thankfully, we have a Heavenly Father who “showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8 NLT). Because of Christ’s sacrifice, “you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.” (Romans 8:12). Your debt has been paid! You are free!
This morning God invites you to step into that freedom Christ purchased for you with His blood. Accept Jesus as your Savior today. Give Him your heart. Then shout to the heavens, so the whole world can hear, “I’m debt free!”