Last year my wife and I went through Financial Peace University. This is a program from Dave Ramsey, who is becoming increasingly popular through television and radio media as America believes all the dramatic news about going into the days of deep dark depression. Or at the least a recession. I have my own opinions about that, but seeing as how I’m no financial expert, I will leave that for another posting at another time.
Our quest to be debt free, has a few ends in itself. Some of the principles Dave teaches are starting to form the opinions and character of my wife and I. It’s getting into us…we are sipping the kool-aid and starting to like it. Here’s why:
First, we can’t even think about buying a house until we are debt free. My wife, Karen, only works part time and my income isn’t enough to cover a house payment, car payment, and every other “payment” that comes standard in America’s world…not to mention phone or electric bill or whatever other utilities people pay these days.
Second, social security is a joke. It won’t be fixed from what I understand, it can’t be, and I refuse to allow my wife and I to be worried month after month…waiting on checks that may or may not be there and then it not being enough to live on or cover whatever medication we may need when we’re older.
Third, the Lord has placed a burden on my heart for the Banjara people of India. Our communication is limited with these folk, and very few them have ever heard the name of Jesus. There is a film ministry that we are contributing to right now. This ministry currently is focused on buying a quality used sport utility vehicle and a projector that the Jesus film can be shown in remote villages in a language they can understand. To be debt free means that we can be contributing WELL to this project and many, many of the Banjara people can come to know our Lord Jesus. Then they can spread the news of the gospel themselves, telling the story and worshipping Christ as only the Banjara do. My wife and I one day hope to contribute much, much more than what we are currently contributing to this mission. It’s hard to do that when we’re funding the bank (who could care less about our well being or salvation). We have a responsibility to spread the gospel, and this is the best way to do this with this particular people group. I’ve made many friends with the Banjara people, and hope to make many more.
We’ve tested the wisdom of Dave Ramsey to see if there truly is any “financial peace” and we are finding that there is. You know the wierd thing is, a lot of Dave Ramsey’s wisdom comes straight from the Bible. Hmmm…the Word of God doesn’t steer you wrong? Go figure.
Oh how I wish more Christians would learn this lesson. It has been so amazing to me how much I’ve been able to give to the Lord since I became debt free. In fact, I’m still discovering money left over at the end of the month. Seems like no matter how much I give, the well never quite runs dry. That is a truly humbling experience.
I was so refreshed by your post! We fell so hard into the “you’ve been married 20 minutes and you don’t have a home??!!!??” pressure that it was really making us stressed (not to mention ashamed of the apartment we do have)…but not anymore! We’d much rather do it the right way.
Keep on keeping on…salvation is a need that far exceeds anything else the world tries to convince us we just have to have…and it sounds like your family is faithfully fulfilling that need for others. kudos!
Thank you for your kind words guys. I’m ready! Especially to get a NEW home. I understand what you mean about the place you’re currently living in (we’re in the same boat)…although we don’t have any rent or anything of that kind (father in law got married and left it for us to live in, as long as we fix it up some). But we’re able to pay off bills with little difficulty on what we make. And the salvation of the Banjara, well….that just speaks for itself doesn’t it! I’ve been to India twice and the folks there are so kind and precious.
for u this is the godly service.
yes its appriciated by others ..
but can u ppl be more introspective and try to examine the words what u say ??
u say the Banjara ppl are coming out of their sins and your fruits started yeilding.
this comments of your’s is reckless …this is out of your mental illness , you ppl never fitted with other jobs so you chosen the chirst holy work and now you say that its way to worship the god.
you ppl are blindfolded, why say that Banjara people are done the SINS ???
your doing the sins … if they are in misery its may be the situation they are in … they are uneducated, they are not aware of the other world , never tried to exploit others … they are living the natural ways ….
you ppl are exploiters , you ppl are cheaters , you ppl never be introspective, dont you realise how you live the life with worst family orders and worst family relationships ??? what u r teaching to these people who are so inocent that they never realised the real motives of yours ???
if you want to help ..help them with the better message to the humanity …tell them that they once receive the help ..must help the fellow human being ??
why want influence in the worst way ??
its time to realise your own sins without uttering the word that other have done the sins ???
Shankar,
I completely agree with you when you say that we people are those who have done the sins. I absolutely have sinned, I absolutely have worshipped other gods, I personally worshipped my idea of god for most of my life “ME”. But the Bible teaches ALL have sinned, this includes me, it includes the Banjara.
Any “fruit started yielding” is God’s, not mine…through His Son Jesus Christ. Blood has always been needed for atonement of sin, whether it be my sins, or Banjara’s. Jesus Christ gave himself as a sacrifice and took punishment for all we have done wrong. He died a cruel death, was buried, but God the Father raised Him from the dead so death could have no hold over his perfect Son. Jesus is the way the truth and the life as a result, conquering Death.
I want to influence in the worst way, because Jesus Christ loves me, He loves you, and He loves the Banjara people. I want to share this news because one day, He convicted me of my sins and I saw Jesus as my Lord. I love Him so much my friend. I hope you will find Him too. Grab a Bible and read it, see if I am not right about the Lord. What have you got to lose?