Are You a Slave?

Many are and do not even know it. More honestly, refuse to acknowledge it. The second half of Proverbs 22:7 says, “…And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” Some translations use the word servant. It does not matter. The intent is clear, once a person is in debt, their will is not their own, they are at the mercy of their new master the creditor. Slavery might be illegal in the United States, but it is alive and well.

So how did we get there? We are Americans, from the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. We live in the most prosperous nation in the world, yet the Bible tells us we are slaves. We are not just spiritual slaves to the old nature, and sin, but also physical slaves. We are literally in bondage. How is that possible? It was easy.

Debtors deny it. We say, “Yes, I am in debt, but I am not a slave. I am not at the mercy of my creditors. They do not control what I do!” Want to bet? Look at a Summary of Terms disclosure from a creditor. There is an annual percentage rate. There is usually a higher rate for cash advances. The creditor is telling the debtor to buy goods not get cash. There is a late payment fee. Further, the default rate is even higher. The creditor can invoke the default rate any time the debtor is late, even by a day. There is a fee for pretty much everything. The creditor is telling the debtor what they may and may not buy and do, and what it will cost. The creditor tells the debtor what to buy, when to pay, how much to pay, and punishes any infraction with a fee. There is even a fee for closing an account if not paid in full. If that is not controlling what a person does, what is? Once in debt, the debtor is powerless to alter this arrangement. Further, the creditor (slaver) may alter the arrangement at any time. That is slavery.

One will forever be a slave until one realizes these simple truths. First, one has to recognize and accept, and the Bible states, that debt IS slavery. Second, one is at the mercy of creditors.

Dare to read on!