The Real Origin of the Debt Crisis
Today we see nations struggling with financial instability. This debt crisis is independent of the size of the nation or its national wealth. From tiny Greece with an economy the size of Massachusetts, to the global powerhouse of America, all nations are struggling with this problem.
What is going on? Why are nations burdened with debt regardless of their economic vigor? What must change? What is the origin of the debt crisis?
Simply put, nations are no different than the private citizens who live within their borders. That which affects the citizen affects the nation. If the people are in debt, the country tends to be in debt too. But what is at the core of this borrowing frenzy? A wise man once said that life can be divided into two basic schools of thought: the philosophy of “get,” the yearning to gratify personal desire above all else, or the opposing philosophy called the way of “give,” the desire to selflessly give to others.
Pretty simple—“the way of give” or “the way of get.”
As people are motivated, so shall the nation be motivated and, ultimately, the whole world as well. People driven by the desire “to get” believe that possessions will gain them happiness. This desire causes them to purchase way beyond what they can afford, so they turn to borrowing. “Borrowing on credit” is a benign-sounding phrase, but it really means that you have indebted yourself or enslaved your life to a stranger who becomes your master. Nations are no different; after all, people comprise and govern nations.
A nation decides to borrow, to “get” what it cannot afford, in order to have prosperity for its citizens through massive public spending. It then seeks credit from friendly nations, or even adversaries, who then can become their economic masters. This basic human drive to “get” for ourselves that which we have not earned affects governments and citizens alike and is at the heart and core of what’s wrong with our entire world economy.
The wisest man of all, Jesus Christ, once said, “It is better to give than to receive.” This simple philosophy, if applied to personal lives or national governments, would lead to a world of unprecedented prosperity. Why? Because it works. God has proved that by what He has created.
God’s philosophy is to give. Just look at His creation—see the abundance of food, fresh air and water, even the sun that gives us warmth and allows life to flourish on earth. It is all free. His ultimate act of giving was offering His Son in payment for our reckless disregard for a few simple rules, His 10 Commandments. If just those 10 laws were obeyed, we would have so much more of the happiness we desire, and we would free ourselves from our enslavement to the way of get.
Yes, we are in a crisis of debt. And by all measures, it looks hopeless. But the time is coming when God will save us and all mankind from this “get crisis.” He will do this out of love and concern for His children, the people of this earth. He wants to give us His Kingdom. And the Kingdom of God will thrive on the principle of give, and it will be free from the bondage of debt.
Isn’t it time to escape slavery to the way of “get”? Come explore giving as a way of life. Join God’s people in living the “way of give” that will end forever the crisis of debt.
For Life, Hope & Truth, I am Britton Taylor.
