Proverbs 6:1-5

6 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor,
Have ^[a]given a pledge for a stranger,
² If you have been snared with the words of your mouth,
Have been caught with the words of your mouth,
³ Do this then, my son, and deliver yourself;
Since you have come into the ^[b]hand of your neighbor,
Go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor.
⁴ Give no sleep to your eyes,
Nor slumber to your eyelids;
⁵ Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand
And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

We open up this week with a warning against financial entanglements.  I don’t think Solomon is speaking here of honest business practices and discerning use of money.  I think we have all been there – when we feel that we are being taken advantage of, or that we are out of control with our finances.  When we pledge money to our neighbor, and made agreements with a stranger, we put ourselves in debt to them- entering into bondage.  The idea here isn’t about giving in a charitable way, it is about putting up your livelihood for someone else.  It is against foolish spending and foolish agreements

I think King Solomon was speaking of living on credit – years and years ago – there is this warning against purchasing what we cant afford and charging things out of our spending limit.   Have you ever been here?  In debt up to your eye balls and avoiding the phone calls? It all sneaks up on you rather fast – one purchase at a time. One decision at a time.

When I was fresh out of college, I worked in Manhattan in a large Advertising firm.  I loved clothes and wanted to look the part of an upwardly mobile young self starter. My credit card had wings, I am sure that it flew through the air and got me lovely, lovely things---and in the moment – it was pure delight to soak in the pleasure of the purchases.  I didn’t have a lot of bills, I was still living at home and I had no car payment or utilities.  I was able to manage the debt in a way that did not choke me.  What would choke me were the unhealthy spending habits I was learning.

As I grew older, and got married- my husband and I both had jobs that paid well.  If we wanted it, we got it.  We went on vacations and we didn’t have a monetary care in the world.  I got pregnant and we moved away from those lucrative jobs.  I stopped working and my husband got a job that paid – m.u.c.h less….but, it was like I was on a disconnect.  My unhealthy spending habits were ingrained. We had our first daughter and I got countless books to read her. Each week, more books, more pink clothes, more toys and gadgets.  I didn’t pay attention to the bills and to the statements. We went on that way for about 3 years and found ourselves in a world of trouble. 

I know that our lives were never in danger and that we were never threatened, but, you must know of the sleepless nights worrying about the bills.  The worry and anxiety how we would pay everything off.   AS silly as it sounds, we had to realize that our position in life changed, we now had two children and one income.  We couldn’t spend like we had. Such a simple concept, right??  Three years it took for us to figure that out, and three years of spending had caught up with us.

There was anxiety.  There was a feeling of being trapped. I did feel like a slave to the debt – it was bigger than us and larger than we could have imagined.  Our “monthly payments” did not control the beast or slay it.

Solomon is wise to advice his children against taking on debt and coming into agreements with strangers. If you don’t have it, don’t spend it. If you need it, save for it. Still a hard lesson, when the kids need cars to drive and they all need to eat – EVERY DAY, and the mortgage---now, correct me if I am wrong – but, didn’t I JUST PAY THAT last month??  Could  we just have a month off ?

Finances, Lord have mercy – what are your struggles with finances?