Some Christians believe being in debt is a sin but I definitely don't feel that way

As a child I was super frugal. My brother splurged every penny on sweets and toys, but I saved and saved. In fact, nothing made me happier than counting my money. You could say I was a bit in love with my meagre wealth. Sinful? Probably…

I’d been taught that debt was wrong and had no intention of getting into it, but when I went to open my first student bank account the advisor suggested I take out a credit card “for emergencies”. “It’ll improve your credit rating,” she said coaxingly. I reluctantly agreed. Sinful? Probably not…

You can guess what happened next. I started off quite sensibly, but constantly re-evaluated what constituted a spending emergency. Expensive course books… a new PC… a really nice pair of shoes. Before I knew it, I’d racked up several thousands of pounds of debt. Sinful? I don’t think so…

As I see it, the debt in itself wasn’t a sin, but the underlying motivations behind it were.

As I see it, the debt in itself wasn’t a sin, but the underlying motivations behind it were. Instead of working to earn the money, I wanted instant gratification. I compared myself with others, jealously coveting their worldly goods. Instead of asking God to meet my spiritual, physical, emotional and financial needs, I made myself a prisoner to the bank.

My growing debt was a consequence of these sinful attitudes and behaviours. And as I went further down the road of spending I walked further away from him into other worldly pursuits, like drinking heavily and keeping bad company. I became a prodigal, only I had a never-ending reserve of credit. With it, I sowed a poor seed and reaped a deadly harvest.

One day I hit rock bottom and decided enough was enough. I got down on my knees and repented of the pride and greed that had driven me into debt. I cut up all my cards (by this point I had many, and they were all maxed out), and asked God to free me from the debtor’s prison I had willingly bought my way into.

I now know that I can take these issues to God just as readily as I can take my money worries.

It wasn’t easy. At the beginning I couldn’t even bring myself to add up what I owed because I knew it would make me weep. But facing the grand total was a vital point in my recovery journey. I made a strict budget, which meant making big sacrifices, and did my best to stick to it. I got a second job. I made a chart and ticked off every £100 I paid off. And slowly but surely – and I’m talking several years later – I cleared that debt.

These days I have a mortgage and two credit cards. Sinful? No…

I also stray into insecurity and unhealthy comparison on occasion, but I now know that I can take these issues to God just as readily as I can take my money worries. He cares about it all. Maybe you ended up in debt through unforeseen circumstances or because life is so crazy expensive these days. Or maybe, like me, you ended up in debt because of pride, greed or insecurity. If so, take it to God so you can be free of all that yucky stuff as you step in to a new debt-free phase of your life. And get past the shame stage as quickly as possible, because it’ll stop you getting back on your feet. Talk to friends, family, church leaders or debt counsellors, and ask them to support and pray for you. You may have a long journey ahead of you, but it needn’t be a lonely one, and the final destination – financial freedom – is infinitely worth it.