Debt Free, in Jesus Name!

Hello My Loves,

I remember mentioning in an earlier post how God said  to me, "I could not manage a little plastic card without his Spirit." Boy was he is right!

I think back to when my husband and I were courting. Once I confirmed in my heart that I would marry him, I knew I needed to share some very personal things about myself and my past life with him. One being, my debt. At that time, I was maybe $250K + in debt. Well, it's a good thing Juan wasn't trying to stick me for my paper! lol

Once we got married, I think Juan and I sat down and really talked about how we were going to clean up my credit and pay off my debt. There were items listed on my report that were done in fraud. There were debts from items I purchased back when I was a teenager. There were duplications, etc. It was all jacked up yet, I didn't care. I had lived with having poor credit for so long, it really did not matter to me. But once I got married and realized I was now apart of a team, I wanted to get it right. I remember thinking to myself, "How am I a woman representing God with tons of debt and bad credit?" Duh! That no longer worked for me. I was actually quite embarrassed.

DEBT FREE CHRISTIAN- doesn't that sound sweet? I believe that we can live prosperous, debt free lives. I will share with you how God not only led me out of debt, but gave me perfect credit...(now I am not saying that this will get you out of debt. I am not a financial counselor-amen. I am simply sharing what God did for me and what I know he can do for you too!)

The first Step was FREE MY MIND. Everyone I knew had bad credit. My parents had bad credit. Those I looked up to had bad credit. It really wasn't a big deal to me. I really did not care. This was the wrong way of thinking! In order for me to live a debt free life, I had to have FAITH to actually be debt free. I had to bind up generational curses. It did not matter that my mother didn't have much, and her mother didn't have much, and her mother's mother didn't have much...THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO ME OR YOU! The moment I gave God my life, I became attached to his covenant and his laws.
Deuteronomy 28:13 NIV: The LORD will make you the head, not the tail.
Deuteronomy 15:6 NIV: For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
I had to release my personal thoughts and beliefs about money and I had to learn and accept his thoughts and instructions about money.

I had to REPENT.
Acts 3:19 NLT: Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
It was a sin to charge, run up, borrow etc. and not pay it back. I would buy things knowing that I couldn't afford it, knowing I didn't need it, or just because I could, and I had no intentions of paying for it. Uhhhh, that sounds similar to stealing, No? So, I acknowledge my faults and I asked God for forgiveness. I went into details about who I was when I accumulated the debt and who I was  now as a saved women living for him. I asked him to wipe my sins/my debts away and not let the past hinder my future. I reminded him of his word about doing a new thing and old wine skin. Then by Faith-I took every bill I owed, every debt I owed (I wrote names and amounts on a piece of paper) and piled them in a big stack. I spoke the blood and specific financial scriptures over them. By faith I threw them in the trash, knowing that God was already moving on my behalf. I also asked God to give me wisdom concerning my future spending, etc. (Please keep in mind, I am not telling anyone to not pay their bills. Every situation is different. Use wisdom.)

The next thing I felt led to do was step up my GIVING game. I understand that the enemy has used man to plant so many bad seeds regarding tithing, sowing, and offerings. There was a time I thought it was best to keep my money in my pocket rather than give it to Pastor Motown for his Cadillac and big house. However, the Word is the Word. When I give, I am giving to God-therefore I am not concerned with what a Pastor is doing with the money. Besides the last I checked, it takes money to run a church.  If he or she chooses to buy fancy cars etc. that's between him and God; not me. Giving God 10% of my finances is nothing compared to him giving me life every single day. 10% is nothing compared to Jesus being brutally beat and hung for me. There is no amount that I can ever give God that can offset a Man who GAVE his life for me when I was basically useless to him. He told Moses to give 10%...Lev. 27:30 Msg: “A tenth of the land’s produce, whether grain from the ground or fruit from the trees, is God’s, so who am I to withhold from the one who gives to me every single day, in some way or another. Giving is my way of showing Jesus, "I get it." When you embrace the revelation that Jesus Christ gave his life for you, giving becomes a blessing. Anything that I can give to God, offer God, etc. is a blessing because he has done so much for me. Besides, I was asking God to forgive me, and give me a break by wiping away my debt...the least I could do was give more. It's probably one of the best habits I've ever picked up. I can never give too much.
2 Cor. 9:6-10 NLT: Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. ⁷ You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”⁸ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. ⁹ As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”¹⁰ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Last was, OBEDIENCE. I had to seek God everyday for wisdom concerning managing my finances and I had to listen to the Holy Spirit! Proverbs 12:15 NKJV: The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. That wasn't an easy thing for me to do at first because I love being a blessing to others. There was a lot of debt I ran up from buying and helping other folks. By his spirit, he taught me that I had to be a good steward over my finances and anything that he gives to me.1 Cor. 4:2 NKJV: Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. The more I walked in obedience in this area, the easier it became to hear him clearly on where to sow, and where not to sow. Who to sow to and who not to sow to.  All those negative seeds regarding Pastor's & Churches stealing my money blah blah blah was just a distraction to keep me from my blessing! Acts 20:35 NIV: remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

There were some other things that God had instructed me to do to get my credit cleaned and my debts cleared but, FAITH, REPENTING,GIVING & OBEDIENCE were the cornerstones. I'll never forget the day Juan and I went to get a mortgage loan on our current home back in 2008. Mannnn, I was so scared that my credit would ruin everything! We had found 'our'...well ok, 'my' dream house and though I had been living by faith regarding my credit and debts, I'll never forget those words spoken to me. Those four beautiful beautiful words..."You have excellent credit." Lawd Jesus I ran fo' my life...! Seriously, I almost fainted. I had him repeat it like three more times just to be sure I was not hearing things! When I got home, I remember pulling my credit report and sure enough...debts wiped clean! It was a miracle!

I've heard some say...sow this $100 seed for your financial break thru. Send $1000 to tap into this financial anointing...If you sow into my financial vision your financial vision will come to past. I am not saying that these methods won't work for you.  In ALL things ask God for his wisdom. I don't know, that's just how I flow when I give. However, I am suggesting that the old fashion way...having faith, repenting, giving, and walking in obedience worked for me!  Let me also say, "it did not happen over night but it did happen." The bottom line is: It is possible to be a debt free Christian!

God wants to give us more. He wants to bless our businesses. Bring our dreams and goals of the future to past. Send our children to the best schools, etc. Give us our dream homes, etc. However, we need to show him that we can handle and maintain what he has already given us.

Matthew 25:21 NLT: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.

Have a great day!
Baya...that Godly Diva