What Would You Do If You Were Debt Free? (by Stephen Simpson)

Debt is a cruel master.  It places restrictions on us.  It hinders us.  It beats us down.  It weighs heavily on our minds.  It is a terrible burden that most, if not all, of us bear.

Take a second and imagine that you are completely debt free.  No mortgage.  No car payments.  No student loans.  No credit card debt.  No debt.  What would you do if you were debt free?

Here are ten things you could do if you were debt free.

1. Anonymously mail gas or grocery store gift cards to needy families each month.
2. Take your old mortgage payment and pay someone else's mortgage payment for a month to help them get ahead of their bills.
3. Leave a $100 tip for a waitress who has had a hard day.
4. Start an endowment for your favorite ministry.
5. Tithe 20% or 30% or even more to your local church.
6. Send a missionary a note thanking them for serving the Lord and include a check for $1000.
7. Sell your house anytime you want without worrying about being upside down in your mortgage.
8. Make a car payment and a mortgage payment to your savings account each month.
9. Use your old mortgage payment and completely cover the costs of our annual community Thanksgiving Day dinner.
10. Give your largest ever April Faith Day offering.

Obviously, you may be able to do some of these things while still being in debt.  But, you will enjoy these things much more once the great debt-dragon has been slayed.  

FBC strongly encourages debt free living.  We do this primarily through two ways.

1. Teaching - We host Financial Peace University classes.  This class has helped revolutionize the finances of many families within our church.  We highly recommend it.  We even provide occasional scholarships to help send people through the class.  
2. Example - We, as a church, are debt free.  When we build, we do not borrow money.  Think about how many ministries of FBC would suffer if our church were under the bondage of debt.

So, take a minute and daydream.  What would you do if you were completely debt free?  

Related Post:

• How Our Family Gained Financial Peace (by JR Foster)

A Debt Free Church (by Stephen Simpson)

As you know, our church is opposed to going into debt. Pastor Osborne has often told us of the strange looks he has received when telling people outside our church of our "Debt-Free" stance.

Here are some thoughts I've had about our Debt-Free Church:

• A Debt-Free church sets a good example for its members. If a church borrows money for something it wants but can't afford, what message does that behavior send to the members of that church? It encourages them to borrow money to buy things that they want but can't afford. In contrast, our church is teaching us that saving money actually works. When something is needed, we save up for it and then pay cash.
• A Debt-Free church fosters a Stress-Reduced Workplace. Guess how many staff meetings I've been to where we sat around wondering if enough money will come in to pay the mortgage payment? ZERO.
• A Debt-Free church demonstrates Godly contentment. A patient church is a content church. Our church demonstrates contentment with what God has provided. We have refused to get ahead of God's plans.

I praise God for a church that teaches me not only from the pulpit, but also through its actions. Are you thankful that your church is debt-free?