Patience, Humility, and Debt

Read Time / 2 Minutes

Theme / Financial Planning

If you can’t afford the car, but you can afford a payment, you can’t afford a car.

It’s a concept that I’m sure many of you are familiar with. Dave Ramsey preaches regularly to avoid car payments and, instead, he encourages his listeners to pay cash for vehicles. The idea is rooted in Biblical foundation, owning debt makes us a slave to the debtholder and we’re called to live a life of freedom as Christians. It’s a philosophy I subscribe to. I tell friends, family and clients regularly to avoid car payments whenever possible; however, there’s a valuable lesson to be learned beyond the evil of debt.

Dave’s philosophy on car loans (and debt in general) is a philosophy rooted in patience and humility. Paying cash for a car requires those two things. Avoiding debt of any kind requires patience and humility. Recently, I wrote a blog about taking the trip of a lifetime. The goal of that blog was to emphasize the importance of doing things the right way financially. That process required patience and humility. We spent three years saving for that trip. We decided to live with my in-laws for a year so we could save money we would have been spending on rent. It wasn’t always easy, but we had a goal and exercised patience and humility to achieve that goal debt-free. Whatever the debt is, whether credit cards, a car loan, or for some people a mortgage they can’t afford, remember that its an opportunity to reflect and choose patience and humility instead.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”

James 4:6 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness

Galatians 5:22 ESV

Nathan Carroll

Registered Assistant

208-918-8655

nathan.carroll@christianwm.com