DO NOT (PART 3) – BE WISE ABOUT YOUR LENDING

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Proverbs 22:26-27           

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

NOTE: Will be at sea for the next two weeks and may be off the grid. If I can post, I will. If not, I will begin posting again as soon as I get to where I have connectivity.

The Lord has blessed me with so very much in life. I have had a successful military career and now a second career still connected to the Navy where I get to still make a difference in the lives of Sailors and their families. And through all of this, the Lord has taught me how to manage the resources He has provided me to where I am not just able to make it financially but be in a position to be charitable in many ways, giving back to others what the Lord has given to me.

This giving has included help to family and friends in time of need, typically in the way of a few dollars at times when they needed them. I do what I can with what I have when I can, remaining obedient to the call of the scriptures to give when you have the means to do so, but there are still times when wisdom and discernment are needed. In other words, there are times when we should say “No” when asked to extend charity to others.

There is a limit and that limit comes when it comes to the matter of pledging yourself to a point where you put your own financial situation as well as the financial situation of a creditor in jeopardy.

Let me give you an example:

Let’s say that I am in my current situation, getting along financially and able to meet my obligations and have money left for charity. A person who I am close to asks me if I would be willing to co-sign on a loan for a home they would like to purchase but cannot get on their own because their credit rating isn’t good enough. I have to make a decision as to whether to do it or not.

Now knowing my financial picture, I know I could do it but only assuming that the person asking me to help would meet their obligation and not default on the loan, an action that would send the creditor to me, the co-signor, looking for payment. If that happened, I and my family would be in a financial conundrum and in the end, I could end up losing my financial foundation and taken down to the point of poverty. The creditor is going to get what they can from me, even if it means they don’t get everything they are owed and they have the right to. After all, I was the one who obligated myself to cover the debt for the person who defaulted. Left without anything, I have damaged my family and all those who I was able to give charity to before. You can’t give what you don’t have.  

It’s this very situation that Solomon was talking about in today’s proverb, the third “do not” warning we’ll look at in the 30 sayings of the wise found between Proverbs 22:16 and Proverbs Chapter 24. Look at these verses:

Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. Proverbs 22:26-27

I find it completely fascinating that issues Solomon wrote about more than 2,000 years ago would be still relevant in society today. Yes, a lot of changes and the particulars might be different but the principles remain the same as does the call to wisdom.

The message here is “do not” overextend yourself by agreeing to a pledge to help someone else. Be wise about your lending so you don’t find someone snatching your bed or worse yet, your car and home away from you as restitution for the debt owed, the debt you agreed to cover for another.

Yes, the Lord calls us to charity but His word also cautions us to do it the right way.

So how do we do this? How do we ensure that our giving is right and prudent?

We do it through praying over our giving.

You see, the Lord will never lead us to give in a way that will not result in His glory and so He will never guide us down a road of ruin if we place our full faith and trust in Him and His will and way.

Next time someone asks you for help, don’t lean on your own imperfect understanding and judgment but rather ask the Lord first how He wants you to help and then respond in obedience.

It’s the one way we can always ensure we are wise in our lending and able to continue being charitable and making a difference in the name of the Lord.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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