Massive Debt

Now that Super Bowl is over I guess we can get back to more important things like the economy. The thing they call the National Debt Clock found in Times Square, New York City, rolls right along adding dollars of interest to the national debt at a staggering rate while our leaders in Washington draw up a stimulus package handing out more borrowed money. We are some where around 11 trillion dollars in debt and the talked about stimulus package is around 1 trillion dollars. That’s $1,000,000,000,000. Your family share is somewhere around $90,000. How big is our national debt? If you were to single handedly pay on it at a rate of one million dollars a year, it would take you ten million years to pay it off. A great stimulus package would be to mail a check of one million dollars to every man, woman and child in the U.S. That would only cost about $350 million. The banks would be full, everybody would buy a new car and want a new house to live in. The only flaw with my package is, everybody would quit work. I don’t have the answer, but I’m sure we’ll survive whatever develops in the future.
One day a man called the church office and said, “Can I speak to the head hog at the trough?” The secretary thought she heard correctly, but asked, “I’m sorry. Who was it you wish to speak with?” The caller repeated, “Could I speak with the head hog at the trough?” The secretary politely said, “Well, if you mean the preacher, then please refer to him as ‘preacher’, but I prefer you not refer to him as ‘head hog at the trough’”. To this the man replied, “Well, I was planning on giving $100,000 to the building fund...” The secretary interrupted, “Hang on! I thing I hear the big fat pig walking in the door.”
A man asked God how much a million years is to him. God said, “Only a second.” Then he asked God how much a million dollars was to him. God said, “Only a penny.” So the man asked, “God, may I have a penny?” God replied, “Give me just a second.”
[Matthew 18: 21-35] As we observe all the debt surrounding us, it’s hard to believe that it will ever get paid back. Most people look at their own personal debt and wonder if they will ever be able to pay it back, but with discipline and determination it can be done. A good rule of thumb with finances; is my new purchase a need or a want. If it is a want, can I afford the monetary loss? Not too many people are willing to forgive you a foolish debt. In the story found in Matthew, the king called in one of his servants to settle a debt. The servant was unable to pay his debt so the king ordered his family and all he possessed to be sold to repay the debt. The servant fell to his knees pleading and begging promising the king if only he would be patient, he would pay him back. The king knew this was impossible, took compassion on the servant and forgave him his debt. Then the servant did a foolish thing. He refused to forgive a very small debt owed him. The king in turn canceled his decision and had the foolish servant put in jail until he could pay back the money he owed. Our sins are a debt to God that we can never repay. Jesus has paid that debt for us with his blood. If we reject what Jesus has done for us, we’ll spend eternity in hell until we become as worthy as Jesus. Impossible! Put on Christ in baptism, live a righteous life before God and your sins will be forgiven and forgotten. God is very patient with everyone, but don’t wait too long. And always remember this. Forgiving others that sin against you, makes you worthy of forgiveness.