Building the Kingdom on Debt

In an attempt to talk out my own thoughts, one of the issues that I can't seem to get around in Kingdom work is the fact that so much of what we call "part of God's Kingdom" is built on debt. Churches with multi-million dollar mortgages, small non-profits held up by credit cards, people lending to ministry but not giving, and all of this isn't even touching on the fact that so many of us as sons and daughters of God live off of debt personally.

Make no mistake, I'm not exempt from the problem. My wife and I are trying to get out of debt, but we still have a significant mortgage that we'll be in for 20-some years. I understand the fact that "this is the way our world works" today, but aren't we called to live in the world but be not of it?

A friend of mine tells a story of how when he was in seminary a guest speaker came to his school and told them that everyone who was there on student loans didn't have enough faith in God. The students then proceeded to get up out of their seats and rebuke him off the stage. Initially, when he tells it, you can hear the heart of his side and you think "maybe their reaction was right." After all, they're taking out those loans to do God's work and those schools are expensive. On the other side, maybe that guy was on to something.

Now I don't think that he needed to go in and lambaste everyone in the audience who had student loans, and I'm not sure it's a matter of faith as much as it is a matter of liquid sunshine. Somewhere in that entire story God has got to fit into the equation.

I tend to believe that if we truly are doing what God wants us to do then He will pay for what He orders. However, I believe God honors personal sacrifice and we all know that loans are a very significant sacrifice. At this time I can't fully say which side I'm on but I'm leaning towards no debt at all. I find that position has the most scriptural support behind it, and although there are some very real issues on the other side of the coin, I just can't bring myself to endorsing a "debt is a sign of faith" stance.

If we are truly building God's kingdom, then He has more than enough resources to do it. If not, then I believe we need to ask ourselves whether or not it's God's Kingdom or our own.