The department says genital herpes can double a person's risk for contracting HIV."
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I am neither a legal nor financial expert, so I won’t even attempt to comment on those aspects of the current crisis in the housing market (please see the notes and link at the end of the article for resources). But as a pastor I believe there are crucial lessons for Christians from the current struggles. There are simple biblical principles that we are tempted to ignore:
James 4:13-14a Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
There is nothing wrong with profiting off of rising housing prices. There is some seriously wrong with gambling on tomorrow: “I know I can’t actually afford this mortgage payment, but since the housing values will continue to rise...” They will? James says: You boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil (4:16).
Joshua 9:14-15a So the men of took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. 15 Joshua made peace with [the Gibeonites] and made a covenant with them…
As you navigate life’s challenges and make important decisions, you must always seek God’s will. If you begin to lean on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5), you may well make some disastrous decisions (if you don’t, it’s because of God’s mercy!). Whether you are listening to the counsel of the Gibeonites, a mortgage broker, or a realtor, you need to seek the Lord’s wisdom.
Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, 7 Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, 8 Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.
We have enjoyed an extended period of economic growth in America – a long period of summer and harvest. Meanwhile, our national savings rate has plummeted. After a couple years of negative savings, a March 2008 report indicated that Americans are now saving 0.5% of their income. In 1984, Americans saved 11%. We have no chief, officer, or ruler to make us save. Instead, our culture encourages us to spend and consume as much as we can and too often we have. We need to return to a basic God-given principle, so important that God ingrained it into the mind of an ant: save. Save during the summer and harvest, because winter will come.
Proverbs 15:22 Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.
Because finances are a personal matter that we don’t often discuss with others, we often make major financial decisions completely on our own. This fits well with the individualism of our country; it also appeals to the Lone Ranger gene that most men have inherited. We love to make big decisions on our own. But it’s actually foolish. God says that we need counselors. When making a financial decision as large as a home purchase, we need to seek the counsel of other godly Christians. They can help us see our blindspots and admit some things we may be trying to ignore (that payment is too high, that mortgage is too risky, you don’t need that much house, etc.).
Matthew 6:19-21 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The problem with the American dream is that you lose it all when you die. Some investments guarantee that you won’t lose your principle – but death guarantees that we all lose everything. You won’t take any earthly treasures with you for eternity. This ought to be an obvious investment decision: seek first the
Romans 12:13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
The importance of giving is all over the Bible (see Deuteronomy 15, Ephesians 4:28, I Corinthians 16:2-3, Gal. 6:10, etc.). The importance of giving is more than just a good character trait – it flows right out of the gospel: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (II Cor. 8:9). Jesus death for our sin was the greatest gift ever. Our consumer culture has drawn us not only to save less, but also to give less.
Proverbs 22:7 The borrower becomes the lender’s slave.
Saving and giving require living within our means. But in a culture with easy credit, we’ve lost our understanding of this basic principle: spend less than you earn. Through credit we’ve been able to leverage our way into the possession of material goods that we could never actually pay for. While savings and giving disappear, we can become slave to our lenders. Not literally; but financially, emotionally, and even spiritually. Debt can be a terrible master. We must return to living within our means.
Proverbs 9:9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.
If you have violated some of the principles above, don’t try to shift the blame or persuade others that it’s not your fault. Even if you have been the victim of predatory lending or other financial scams, don’t allow yourself to develop a victim mentality. Keep your focus on what God is doing in your heart. You may need to confess specific sins to God related to these things. Humbly learn the lessons He is teaching you: God gives grace to the humble.
Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God.
Many people have been led into poor decisions by greedy players in the financial and housing markets. Never take your own revenge. Focus on what God is doing in your heart and move on. Let God take care of the justice (I’m assuming, of course, that they haven’t done anything illegal. If they have, then you should certainly report this).
Matthew 5:37 But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes ' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.
A Christian should do everything possible to keep his contractual obligations. I am not an expert on the complicated legal and financial processes related to foreclosure, so I cannot deal with the specific details. But if you end up losing financial assets such as a home, do it in a completely ethical way. Consider Matthew 5:37 carefully before you let an agency coach you through voluntary foreclosure.
Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
God often takes His people through dark days, but those dark days often lead to very bright days of blessing. While your financial situation may look miserable right now, the future may not be as scary as it seems. You may have to go through the pain of some major lifestyle changes; you may have to move; you may have to rent instead of buy. But God is lovingly superintending all of these things for your good and His fame. He loves His people, and does not withhold any good thing from those who walk uprightly. There is no need to despair: hope in God. I am not promising you financial prosperity: but you will find that peace and righteousness are more precious treasures than any financial prosperity you’ve enjoyed. Because we have such a great God, the future is bright.
I Timothy 6:6 Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Your net worth may plummet, but your life does not consist of your net worth: one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). If God pummels our net worth while drawing our hearts to Him, that would be great gain. Don’t ever confuse financial prosperity with spiritual prosperity. I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Phil. 3:8).
GETTING HELP
For housing counseling and foreclosure help, you should immediately contact a HUD-approved housing counselor who does not charge for the services (charging for the services is a warning flag that this may not actually be a reputable counseling service). You can call 1-800-569-4287 or use the online search tool: http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcs.cfm
