— Richard Peskett
The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
Ayana (her name has been changed to protect her anonymity) was so grateful to her boss for her Christmas bonus that she knelt on the ground to thank her. Yet before the end of the month, all this extra money had been spent on “things” that she delighted to boast about on social media. One month later, and she was in debt again.
The debt that Ayana experiences is like a dark hole from which it is impossible to escape. Such personal debt enslaves a person; it brings sorrow, anxiety, and even despair. And it is all too common in Africa.
Why do people like Ayana get into debt? It is easy to blame the high rates of unemployment in Africa, or the ever-increasing cost of living, or perhaps the lack of instruction from parents to their children. It is a sad fact, and perhaps a commentary on our society, that for an increasing number of Africans, “living with significant debt has become normalised” – many think that debt is inevitable for most people, and therefore they do not consider themselves responsible for their debt.
So, belittling the problem and blaming society, countless Africans suffer the crippling effects of personal debt. Yet, at the same time, there are millions of impoverished people in Africa who do not get themselves into debt – they live within their means, spending less than they make, and prove that debt is not inevitable.
So why are so many people in Africa in debt? It has often been said, “The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.” The ultimate reason there is so much debt is that people want what others have, but which they cannot afford. Benay Sager, the executive head of DebtBusters, states the following: “Simply put, we buy things because other people buy things. And if we cannot buy things with cash, we’ll buy things on credit.”
Ayana is constantly in debt, not because she lacks money, but because she lacks godly contentment. We all have an insatiable appetite for more and try to find satisfaction and contentment in getting more. As Solomon proves in the book of Ecclesiastes, enough is never enough. The billionaire John D. Rockefeller, when asked how much money is enough, famously replied, “Just a little bit more.”
What is contentment, and where is it found?
It was Jeremiah Burroughs in his book, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, who defines contentment in this way: “Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God’s wise and fatherly disposal in every condition.”
The Christian should be content – because they have Christ. We have an insatiable appetite for “stuff” because God has made us to worship. But Christians are satisfied by the worship of God rather than created things. Christians “offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5). Christians are satisfied because they have eternal life, they enjoy God Himself, and find their satisfaction ultimately and completely in Him.
It was the Lord Jesus Christ who said, “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This “knowledge” of the Father and the Son is not simply knowing about God, but having a satisfying and joy-giving relationship with God. Such a relationship makes a person content.
But there is more. Because a Christian has a Father in heaven who gives His children all that they need, they are able to “submit and delight” in His wise and sufficient provision for them. “God gives everything, and everything we have has been given to us. We need to remember that.
We are really managers, not owners of our money.” So says Tony Anderson in a most helpful article on money. (See also Matt 6:25 – 33). We may well try to get employment that pays more, but we live within our current means, and we are thankful for what our Father has provided. We do not presume on His kindness and buy on credit.
So how can a Christian keep themselves from debt?
- Prayerfully find paid employment (if you are the one who provides for the family), trusting your Father in heaven to provide for you as you seek His kingdom and righteousness. And work wholeheartedly at your job for Christ (Col 3:22 – 24).
- Live within your means, trusting that your Father in heaven is giving you all that you need.
- Be generous with what God gives you, just as God Himself is generous towards us (Rom 8:32; John 3:16; Gal 2:20).
- Learn the rare jewel of Christian contentment. Learn to be content with God Himself and in what God has given you. Learn to be content, just as the apostle learnt to be content, in plenty and when barely having enough (Phil 4:10 – 13).
By following these four principles, you will be a happy Christian, you will keep out of debt, and you will glorify our supremely satisfying God.