Debt
“Owe no one anything except to love one another…”
We don’t want to get ourselves into unnecessary debt. When you owe somebody something, you have got to adhere to what they demand. Now, I want to say to you as a farmer, we borrow money every season to put the crop in. When the crop comes off, we pay our debt and whatever is left over we keep for ourselves. Of course, we have to tithe as well.
If we go to the Book of Matthew 22:21, this is what the Bible says:
“They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
We have to pay our debts - If you cannot afford it, please don’t buy it. That is why some people can’t sleep at night, they owe so much money. Do you know this old joke - The old cowboy who said “The quickest way to double your money is to take that $10 note out of your pocket, fold it in two and put it straight back in your pocket again.” Folks, this is a serious subject. I don’t know how many people I have had to help and pray for who have got themselves into terrible, unnecessary debt.
I remember speaking on a panel - A group of farmers had invited us to a farmers day. In the afternoon some prominent farmers were sitting at the panel and the rest of the farmers were asking them questions and they put me on that panel. By the way, I don’t like that at all, I don’t do very well on those panels. One farmer pointed out to me and he said: “Is it okay not to pay your income tax if you do not believe in the Government?”
Of course, I had to answer the question and everybody was looking around. I said, “Do you have some currency in your wallet?”
He said, “Yes.”
I said: "Can you bring me that ten rand note?” And he brought it up to the table.
I said, “Whose name is on the ten rand note?”
He said: “The South African Government.”
And then I said to him, just like Jesus said, “Therefore render unto Caesar what is Caesars and unto God what is God’s.”
I want to say you will sleep much better at night if you pay cash. Try to get out of debt as quick as you can - just owe one thing and that is to love your neighbour as yourself.
Have a lovely Sunday as you sit down with a cup of tea and speak to your wife, speak to your husband and say: “How are we going to cut our costs down so that we can live freely?”
God bless you and have a wonderful Sunday.