Don't pay off this debt!!!

What to pay off - and what NOT to pay off

We all have debts.  Some of us have little debts.  To be honest, our house is paid for (although I don’t live there), I own my car; I don’t have any furniture payments.

But, in most cases, we still have debts.  The property tax bill needs to get paid in the next few months, the credit card bill will come due on the first of the month, etc.  

For many of my former students, they still have college debt.  Others are paying on mortgages, or car payments, or other things they have bought.  

But, there is one debt that we SHOULD NOT PAY OFF!!!

From Romans 13:8-10

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commands there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

I like how that is phrased - “the continuing debt to love one another”.  Do I write a check to pay that debt?  How do I pay a debt to love one another?

It is like every morning, there is $1,000,000 on your bank account that you owe to love.  During the day when you smile, say ‘hello’, really care, really listen, really try to help, really try to understand - you are chipping away at that debt.  ALWAYS pay on that debt.  Maybe by the end of the day, you have it down to (say) $100,000 (hey you paid off $900,000 in a day - that’s pretty good).  But, the next morning it is back at 1 million.  

Is there interest on that account?  (Sure is).  But, never more than the day before.  

Can you overpay it?  Never!!  Even if you go out of your way and be nice and love 100% of the people you come into contact with, you’ll never pay it off.  Why?  Well, you could have called friends who haven’t seen and supported and encouraged them - you could have visited the elderly in a nursing home or retirement center.

So, what if you just stop trying?  (Hey, after all, I can never pay it off)

Well, I’m not sure what the consequences will be - but my guess is that you will become a crabby old man or crabby old woman.  You will have a ‘hardened heart’.  You’ll be like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol - “Bah Humbug”.  Don’t smile, don’t give out love - be stingy with your love,  There is an old prayer “God Bless Mom and Dad, me and my sister.  Us Four - and no more”.  You don’t want God to bless those that are sick with the virus?  Or those being evicted from the house or apartment because they have been fired or laid off with a job?  

Pay the debt of love - always love!!!

Matthew 25 adds this

““Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, "I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and we gave you clothes? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” 

There are ALWAYS more to love - you can never love enough.

And, if you stop, you really are hurting yourself - because love does come back - not necessarily the “eros” or erotic love; or the “phila” or brotherly love, but the ‘agape’ or deep, heartfelt loved!!!

So - today work on loving others - (and I will do the same)!!!

Hugs (and Love)!!

Karen