Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
The love of money is the root of all evil. I Tim.6
If you are in debt, you are likely to "love" money ... to think about money and to think of how you can get more money.
Debt is a way of this world. It is the way the world tries to get more things and more money.
God way is to seek the kingdom of God and to take no thought for tomorrow ... "and all these things will be added unto you." Mt. 6
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At the time I was born again, I owned a small business. I owed a small amount of money which I had borrowed to buy merchandise.
After I was born again, I was persuaded it was God's way to get out of debt and to stay out of debt.
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Getting out of debt ... What I did was to cut back on everything and use the money on the debt. By doing this, I came into a way of thinking ... a way of life ... where I lived "below my means" ... even on small items.
It was indeed a way of thinking ... Instead of paying for a cup of coffee, I made my own cup of coffee which cost a few pennies less.
Though it was only a few pennies difference, I learned something by doing this.
As I recall, in less that a year I had paid the business debt and was out of debt.
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Daily, I was seeking to know the will of God, second by second. I wanted to study Bible. I wanted to see God's way. I was seeking God's way.
Mt. 6 ... Jesus says ... 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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During this period of time I had a car accident. It was going to take about $900 to have my car repaired. It would take about $16,000 to buy a new car. I had $900 but did not have $16,000. So I had the car repaired.
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I rented an apartment in Dallas. I did not "buy" a house with partial payments nor with mortgage. While it was "wise" in the eyes of the world to take a mortgage rather than throwing that money away on rent, I did not take a mortgage. I continued to pay rent.
That was between 1975 and 1982.
By living below my means, money started to accumulate. When troubles, such as repairs came, I had a surplus of money and no debt at all for anything, so I could easily pay for repairs.
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My dad died in 1982. I decided to move to the city where my mother lived to help her. We owned a trailer lot and my mother lived in a house trailer on that lot. I had more than enough money to buy a house trailer and that is what I planned to do. (I had $22,000 left from sale of the merchandise in my business.) When I looked at house trailers, I felt very uncomfortable.
Then I remembered my dad had left me $50,000. (this isn't much money but it was enough) I had an "apartment" built on the lot for $45,000.
Two years later, I had opportunity to purchase a lot on the golf course. It was $13,700. I had saved that amount of money so I could pay cash and I did buy that lot.
Three years later, I was able to build a house on that lot and sold the apartment (and the apartment where my mother was living) and put that money into the house and moved my mother into the house with me.
Approximately 10 years later, my mother died. I put the house up for sale. The price of real estate in our little town, by that time, had doubled. I sold that house and put all the money into the house where I live now.
(But at no time was I thinking I would make money on any of these apartment/houses ... I was just doing what was needed at that time and mostly doing what God showed me to do with no thought for future.)
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You see a pattern here. Live below your means. Stay out of debt.
I didn't try to get more money. I just stayed out of debt and lived below my means and bit by bit money accumulated.
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Covetousness leads you into debt. The way of this world leads you into debt. It is the wrong way. And the burden of debt may cause you many extra troubles.
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I Tim. 6 ... 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.