A Question

[py3ak]

OK, here is a practical question about finances.

Right now I am owed a fair amount of money by various people. I also have some bills coming due, and that money would come in handy. However, the people who owe me money are also in pretty severe straits.
How should I proceed? Should I ask them to give what they can and trust God to provide for them? Or should I shut my mouth and trust God to provide for me?

 

[Anton Bruckner]

trip them over. grab them by their legs, suspend them in the air and shake every penny out of them. Or suspend them over the balcony of a high rise. (too much mobster movies on my part).

On a serious note. I see nothing wrong with approaching those persons for the money you loaned them. Folks who borrow money from friends usually have a penchant for forgetting.

 

[py3ak]

Well, an extremely hard-up person paid me back some money last night. I tried to refuse, given that they are in a bind, but they wouldn't hear of it.
So we'll see what happens.

 

[tdowns]

Are we supposed to loan?

Are we supposed to loan money to others in a casual sense? I've seen loaned money cause problems so many times, I tend to think we shouldn't do the small loan thing, either give it freely without any desire to get it back, or make it an official loan, with interest, with time periods in which it should be paid back.

What's the biblical stance on this?

 

[a mere housewife]

Psalm 112

1 Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. 4Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

Usury is forbidden, being surety is not wise; but 'casual' lending is commended, and it is part of guiding our affairs discretely (of course practicing discretion in lending is also a must, if for the basic reason that one doesn't have enough money to lend to all the needs that one comes up against). It would seem though, that non official loans with interest are the kind that we should not, as Christians, be practicing one toward another.

As far as giving freely, the rest of the Psalm goes on to say, "he has dispersed: he has given to the poor." And there is also this: "Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive."

[Edited on 10-18-2006 by a mere housewife]

 

[tdowns]

Nice....

Great words, thanks.