From Pitfall to Passion – Why I Hate Debt

A friend of mine invites me to his annual (well, somewhat annual) golf tournament – the “Not So Master’s.” Because I love to play golf, I always look forward to this event. I love the smell of cut grass, the sound of the club hitting the ball, people yelling “fore” before I even swing, looking endlessly for a little white ball in tall grass, missing 3-foot putts, and hanging out after the round to talk. At the conclusion of the last tournament, my cart partner asked what I did for a living. When I told him I was one of the pastors at a Temecula church, he looked puzzled and asked why. It was a wonderfully refreshing question. I told him working at Sunridge allows me to pursue the two things I’m most passionate about – helping people find and follow Jesus and helping people get out of debt and stay out of debt. He understood someone becoming a pastor to share the gospel but couldn’t connect it to my hatred of debt. Our conversation was cut short by the awards for the tournament before I could get into it, but if I had the time, this is what I would have said.

Danger on the Horizon

In 2006, I left my career as a software developer for Callaway Golf to pursue full-time ministry at Sunridge. The U.S. economy was pretty good, and the housing bubble had not yet burst. People were living their best lives – mostly on credit and home equity, but on the surface, things appeared good. But in 2008, things got dark very fast. Large financial institutions were in distress, the market experienced extreme turbulence, and before I knew it, the Great Recession was upon us. People were losing their jobs and then their homes. It was so sad. As one of the pastors who handled the benevolence fund (we call it the Agape fund), it was heartbreaking to hear story after story of people needing financial aid to get by. In many cases, it felt like we were putting a tiny band-aid on a massive wound.

You’re Not Alone

I was scared, too. I had a wife and two young daughters and had just left a secure job where I had worked for over 11 years. I had accumulated a lot of debt, and church donations were in decline, which meant my job wasn’t secure. And while I didn’t lose my job, like so many others during that period, I took a cut to my salary and benefits. It was a very helpless feeling, one I never wanted to experience again. That’s the thing about the rat race; even if you win, you’re still a rat. I needed a plan to solve this problem.

Quitting the Rat Race

It is a challenge to quit the rat race. I had to commit to swimming against the stream of marketing that told me I could have it all and have it now. I had to stop listening to the lie that I deserved it, that if I could come up with a down and make the monthly payments, I could “afford” it. Instead, I had to sacrifice and build a lifestyle where I lived below my income level. Sometimes, it meant saying no to things that are fun, things I like, and things I want. It meant swallowing my pride, accepting friends’ clothes for my daughters, and driving 20-year-old cars. It meant vacations were camping every other year. It meant sticking to a budget and using a proven plan to get out of debt – all debt.

Success Is Contagious

We were super skeptical when we started the plan to get out of debt. But then something incredible happened: by using a “debt snowball,” we actually paid off a credit card. Then another and another. Then we finished off the car loan. Then, we finally wiped out that beast of burden – the HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit). We finally had margin in our income – which meant margin in our lives. We no longer lived paycheck to paycheck. We have a savings account and an emergency fund, and we helped get our kids through college without parent loans. Living without debt means that we no longer have to imagine what it would be like to spend all the money we make on the things we need or want; we just get to do it. And you can, too. But how bad do you want it?

Where to Begin

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, household debt reached an all-new high at the end of 2023 with a whopping total of $17.5 trillion. As I read the report, it’s hard not to see similarities between today and 2007. Why wait for the next Great Recession to put yourself in a financial position that gives margin, freedom, and honors God? If you’re finally tired of running the rat race only to find it brings discontent, stress, and a lot of debt, consider this:

• It’s all God’s; manage everything well – even your money. Don’t just take my word for it. Psalm 24:1 -“The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.” Haggai 2:8 – “The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.” Psalm 50:10 – “For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills.”
• Follow a proven plan like the FPU (Financial Peace University) 7 Baby Steps. I highly recommend signing up for FPU the next time Sunridge offers the class.
• Don’t grow weary or give up; it’s too important.

Getting into debt was easy and fun – right up until it wasn’t. I had lots of stuff, but I didn’t have contentment or peace. Having things I couldn’t afford created anxiety and fear every time the bills came due. And that’s why I am so passionate about helping people get out of debt and staying out of debt. I’ve lived on both sides of the ledger, and I’m never going back into the kind of bondage debt brings again.