“Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money.”
I’m not sure who said that, but I can tell you that there’s a part of me that definitely resonates with that statement. To some extent we all love money because money gives us the ability and the freedom to do the things we love. In that sense, money can be a wonderful servant.
But money can also be a terrible master.
It feels good to have money left at the end of the month; it feels terrible to have month left at the end of the money. It feels good to own your car completely; it feels terrible to know that you owe more on your car than your car is worth. It feels good to be able to be generous with your money; it feels terrible to wish you could be generous, but you can’t because of those darned credit card bills.
Debt is, without a doubt, an epidemic in the U.S. The average U.S. household owes $15,788 in credit card debt. With almost 200 million credit card holders in the U.S., that’s a lot of debt!
Believe it or not, the Bible actually talks about debt. Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” If you’ve ever been in debt, you know what that feels like—to be a slave to your lenders…
So what can we do about this?
Along with the other small groups that will begin in October, we’re going to offer a 13-week course called Financial Peace University. It’s a video series taught by a guy named Dave Ramsey, a Christian financial advisor who has helped thousands of people get out of debt and learn to manage their money well.
The cost for this course is $100, which includes, not only the cost of participating in the class, but also the FPU Membership kit (FPU workbook, over 13 hours of audio lessons on CD, etc., etc.). If you’re interested in the class but the price seems kind of steep, talk to me or call the office and we’ll see if there’s some way we can help with the cost.
I know I sound kind of like an infomercial (“But wait, there’s more!”), but I really do believe that if you or your family struggles with debt and wise money management, this course can change your life. I personally haven’t been through the class, but I definitely plan on participating in it.
If this sounds interesting to you, but you’re not sure if you want to do it, we’ll be offering a free preview class on Sunday, September 26, at 11:00 a.m. (right after church). There’s no cost or commitment if you come to this. It’s just a way to help you decide if this class is something you want to invest in.
