We are in debt to God because of His great love for us. We owe everything to God. We can never pay Him back. Nonetheless, we should try to pay Him back by loving Him totally, living for Him constantly, and worshipping Him forever.

We are also in debt to God because of our sins. Jesus paid our debt by dying on the cross. We should accept Jesus' saving death and pray as He taught us by asking Him to forgive the debt of our sins (see Mt 6:12).

We are also in debt spiritually to other people. We owe people love (Rm 13:8) and encouragement (Phil 2:1).

We should not be in debt financially. The Lord has commanded us: "Owe no debt to anyone except the debt that binds us to love one another" (Rm 13:8). "The borrower is the slave of the lender" (Prv 22:7), and God the Father doesn't want His children to be slaves.

In our society and economy, many Christians think it's impossible to avoid being in debt financially. Nevertheless, God's word should change our culture, and not our culture change the interpretation of God's word. Perhaps if we truly live in spiritual indebtedness to God and others, our lives and lifestyles will be so transformed that we will be freed from debt financially. Be in debt spiritually and avoid debt financially.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, April 10, 1999

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 16, 1999