Owe Nothing But Love
© 04.01.07 By Peter Gustavson
The apostle Paul tells us to "owe no man anything except the continuing debt of love." Now, there are those who would suggest that this passage in Romans demands the absolute absence of debt. Yet that isn't the case. True, the book of Proverbs does teach that it is best to avoid debt, to avoid being surety for another. However, there really is not a strict prohibition against credit in the Bible.
What Paul is telling us is that the Christian life should be characterized by a good reputation; by excellence in all that we do. In that sort of life style, debt would be at a minimum. One who is excellent in his work (the Proverbs say), will not work for obscure men, but will stand before kings. The point is, a diligent worker excelling in his trade will be making a good wage. Thus he will be less likely to carry debt since he is able to pay cash for whatever he wants. And so, the only debt - the only thing he will owe anyone is love (to think of others more highly than himself and to treat them as he would hope to be treated).
The truth is, not many of us live this kind of life style. We don't put our all into much of anything, let alone our work. Indeed, most of the people I know don't really like their jobs. They work pretty hard, but they never reach a high level of excellence in their work because, for the most part, they're just putting in the time until they retire. With that kind of attitude it is difficult to excel. No, it is impossible to excel with the attitude of a clock puncher.
If you want to increase your income then you need to excel in your work. You need to become the irreplaceable employee. Yet, even the "irreplaceable employee" is replaced sometimes; not to worry. If you've put forth the effort to become a worker of excellence, then you'll be able to find work with another company - or better yet, start your own business in your field of expertise. Either way, diligence will bear fruit in the end. But remember, punching the clock is the opposite of diligence. Becoming a worker of excellence takes a lot of effort. Not just working harder (extra hours, no wasted time, high energy level), but working smarter. In fact, working smarter (learning your specialty inside and out, reading, thinking, being creative, writing on your area of expertise and so on), is the more important aspect. Put the two together and you become a man or woman to be reckoned with.
When you do these things the money will follow. It may require you to launch out on your own, but the money will follow as sure as day follows night. At that point you can begin to work toward the admonition of Paul: owe no man anything except the continuing debt of love.
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