As millions of Americans celebrate Independence Day, most of us are in bondage to our financial situations. Are you among them?
I owe. I owe. It’s off to work I go.
Sound familiar? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Fearful that you will run out of money before the end of the month? Spending more than you make? Living off your credit cards? Working in a job you should quit because you need the money? Looking for work, and not sure what to do next?
You are not alone. Millions of Americans are held hostage by money because of circumstances, choices or both.
- Half of Americans spend more than they earn.
- 62% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings.
- The average U.S. household debt $130,922 in total.
- 6,861,000 Americans were unemployed last month.
Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness?
How come we celebrate the Declaration of Independence, and yet we suffer as financial hostages? Read what our founding fathers signed 241 years ago . . .
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”– Read the rest
So what happened between proclaiming our rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness in 1776 and our experience today in 2017?
Declare Your Freedom
We face real issues of security, politics, morality and inequality. Perhaps our celebration of independence as a country can be complemented by declaring our dependence on the God and Creator Who has said in 2 Chronicles 7:14…
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
As it relates to the financial tremblings across our country both culturally and personally, we have the opportunity and responsibility to declare our freedom from money. Jesus has said…
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24
The borrower is slave to the lender. Choose this day whom you will serve – money in the form of your spending and debt – or God, who “richly supplies you with all things to enjoy.”
Dissolve the financial weight that holds you to a job you hate.
Gather your family together. Declare your freedom from heavy money burdens by cutting expenses, selling unnecessary things, paying off debt and receiving the freedom to explore, educate and employ your gifts and passions as you hear and follow God’s calling.
Download our “Declaration of Freedom” form. Print, fill-in and sign-off on your own declaration of freedom to walk in good works without debt.
Explore 7 steps to a find good job, maximize your career and hear God calling in our Crossroads Career Work Book.
This post originally appeared in July 2016.
