Somebody Help Me

Hope is something that this world desperately needs.  People are confused about hope.  I think most people are like Stanley Johnson in the Lending Tree commercial on the riding lawnmower.  If you remember, he says, “I have a great family, a four-bedroom house in great community.  Like my car? It’s new. I belong to the local golf club.  How do I do it? I’m in debt up to my eyeballs.  I can barely pay my finance charges.”  He seems to be living the American Dream until he looks into the camera and says, “Somebody help me.”

Stanley’s idea of hope was getting help and out of debt.  He killed his hope by spending more than he made.  Debt is a “hope killer” unless it makes you hope that you can pay the debt.  People in debt “Rob Peter to pay Paul.”

I remember in one of the churches I pastored that a deacon wanted to give more to the church, but he could not because of debt.  I asked him how serious he was to increase his giving.  After a discussion, he decided either pay off his debt or consolidate his bills and have money to increase his giving. 

Numerous believers do not give due to indebtedness.  I encourage couple contemplating marriage to live by the 80/20 rule.  It is give ten percent to God, save ten percent for themselves, and live on eighty percent of their income.  I tell them to base their income on thirty-two hours, rather than a forty-hour income.  This principle allows you to have room for an unexpected event that you cause them to miss a day’s work.

Unfortunately, most believers do neither.  The first place people cut from their budget is in giving.  I think it is important to remember that the Bible teaches the tithe and that God holds us accountable for the ninety percent He has blessed us.

Momma reminded us of hope every day my brothers and sister were growing up.  She taught us that a better day would come.  We had to focus on the Lord and his plan for our lives.

I remember one time when daddy was on layoff.  This seemed to be quite regular when I was young.  Daddy would “Draw His Pennies.”  The best I could tell was he did not have enough pennies to pay the bills.  One day a man, the dad of one of my classmates, and another man dressed in a shirt and tie drove into the yard in a pickup.  I watched momma cry as the two men loaded our furniture into the pickup truck.  When they left, we did not have a living room or dining room suite as well as some other things.  I felt sorry for momma as she pleaded with the men not to take her furniture.  I found out at school the next day that my classmate’s dad got the furniture for hauling it away from our house.

I do not remember a time that daddy and momma were not in debt.  Daddy had a tendency to make debt and then not pay for it.  Sometimes it was due to a layoff, between jobs, or at other times pure negligence.

Sometimes when I see or read the news, it seems that America spends more than it makes.  In recent days, there have been reports of America’s indebtedness to China.  Our National Debt is astronomical.  The Outstanding Public Debt as of 16 Feb 2011 at 09:29:29 PM GMT is: $14,142,147,989,931.15.  According to the National Debt Clock it was $27,898,933,000,000 as February 11, 2021 12:26 pm CST.

Speaking of the National Debt, I recall my friend “Big Ugly” complaining about it twenty years ago.  He wanted Uncle Sam to print more money.  I told him that he was part of the National Debt.  After he gave me a few “choice” words of admonishment, I asked him if owned any money.  He had mortgages on an auto, a pickup, and a mobile home.  After a long discussion on economics, I helped him see he was part of the National Debt and that the government was a reflection of the people.  If people do not have hope, how can a government of the people, by the people, and for the people give hope? 

Money is a medium of exchange.  Escalating debt is greed.  According to Charlotte Johnson’s article, “The Reason People Get into Debt” says, “In 2007, the average American household possessed $9,480 in credit card debt.”  There are many reasons for this.  She continues saying, “Although many people would shy away from calling themselves greedy, the simple fact is that greed leads to debt. The age old problem of matching or exceeding your neighbors' wealth status still exists. People often see something they want and hastily purchase it rather than saving for the item over time and waiting to purchase it when they have enough funds (or refusing to purchase it all together if it is unnecessary).

Greed is a “Hope Slayer.”

Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.  And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee (Psalm 39: 6-7 KJV).

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it (Romans 8:24-25 KJV).