The Perils of Lending: An Argument for Giving
A thousand dollars fixes car problems, pays rent or helps with a house payment. A thousand dollars keeps water flowing, heat working, and food on the table. A thousand dollars is a lot of money. The size of our bank account doesn’t change that.
A number of years ago, my husband and I made the decision to loan some friends a thousand dollars. A series of difficult events had put them on the verge of bankruptcy with a work vehicle in need of repair. At the time, our budget was a first lieutenant’s salary, and our own well wasn’t overflowing, but we believed the loan was the right decision. We didn’t sign papers. We didn’t have a payoff schedule. We believed our friends’ commitment to repay us.
If only we had been seeker’s of God’s wisdom back then.
I often read the One Year Chronological Bible for my devotion time, and have discovered that a Bible reading plan’s random passages can unexpectedly shine light into situations past, present, and future. On one particular day, the passage was Proverbs 17 – 19.
Proverbs is fun to read because there are all sorts of meme-worthy one-liners. At the moment, one of my favorites is, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Prov. 16:31). Funny, shocking, poignant, caustic, duh thoughts, wow thoughts—we get them all. But there is almost always a recurring theme.
On this particular day, friendship and money were the theme, bringing to mind that past situation. With hindsight’s 20/20 vision, I evaluated our decision through the lens of God’s Word.
God’s Word clearly taught me that lending money was unwise. Join me over at The Glorious Table as I share the hard lessons – and how to be more like God in the process.
4 Comments
J.D. Wininger
It can be perilous to give Ms. Denise, but it can also be a wonderful blessing. I believe God blesses the cheerful giver, but when we harbor negative thoughts to the lendee (is that a word or should I just say borrower?), I think we stifle His blessings. Example: I loaned money to purchase a portable welder/generator to a young man who was just completing technical school. He had done all the work, great grades and received all his needed certifications as a welder. The economy just wouldn’t support his getting a job right away at the time, so he took odd jobs (welding pipe fences, etc. is always needed here in cattle country). It took him a while to pay back my No Interest, no repayment schedule loan. When I loaned it to him, I told him it was because I believed in him and wanted to help him achieve his career dreams. Well, I was paid back eventually; and today this young man weld’s fuel transfer stations for aviation fuel all around the United States. He’s at the “top of his game” and is in high demand. Now I had little to do with that (that’s all him and God); I was just a conduit of blessing God could use. Great post, and I appreciated the different, godly perspective ma’am.
Denise Roberts
JD – I love the generosity of your heart! And I know that you were a tremendous blessing to that young man. We haven’t stopped being generous – it’s the attitude we approach it with that has changed. Sometimes our gift is repayed. Sometimes it is accepted as a gift. Either way – we are free from the disappointment of unmet expectations.
Jimmie A. Kepler
I loaned four times the amount you mentioned to a Christian brother and esteemed leader in my church who said he would repay in one month. It is one year later. I knew better. My excuse is he was a spiritual leader in my church and hit me at a moment of weakness, the week on my late wife’s birthday last year. He mentioned my late wife and my philanthropy, etc. Don’t loan money. I lost more than earned in some of my early tears of working. Great article. Don’t loan money. This has not stopped my giving but I don’t loan money.
Denise Roberts
Jimmie, Oh I know how that hurts your heart. I’ll be praying that this person is convicted by the Holy Spirit to live up to his commitment.