You might be surprised to discover how often the Bible speaks about money, and how we use (or misuse) our money actually says a great deal about our spiritual lives.

In fact, the Bible warns us that money and things can actually take God’s place in our lives–and when that happens, it is wrong. Jesus warned, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24). When greed rules our lives instead of God, then we are in great spiritual danger.

Why do I mention this to you? The reason is because the first step I hope you will take is to ask yourself why you got into debt in the first place. Were you trying to impress other people? Were you trying to buy yourself happiness with things? Whatever the reason, face it–and then repent of it and ask God to help you put Christ first in your life.

Then learn from this experience and take practical steps to deal with your debt. Set a budget that forces you to repay your debts in the coming year, and then stick with it. Lock up or destroy your credit cards if you can’t resist the temptation to use them. God wants you to honor Him in everything–including the way you use your money.