Debt & the Bible

<sup>We often think of Debt as a bad thing, and usually it is not too wise to so the , "buy now pay later"  thing.   
 Not such a good idea because we are basing the purchase on  our future income, which is most of the time uncertain.  As I was reading today I came across this scripture, one maybe you have read or heard before, its found in Romans it talks about our debt to man. 

Romans 13: 8</sup>  Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love him....

    Now when we owe a debt or borrow $money$  from a person, every time we see them WE know and THEY know, WE owe them money.  Whether it is spoken of or not WE know we borrowed and we owe, we need to repay. 
So we work and sacrifice other things to be able to pay that person  back until the debt is paid back in full...right? If we get mad at the person do we still owe them the money we borrowed?  YES we do.  If the person is rich and doesn't need the measly little pittens we borrowed do we still owe them money?  YES we do.  Its not a matter of OUR feelings its a fact, we owe.

     Well the  same should be true with this scripture.  If we are to OWE man (others) love than we need to work at it to get it paid.  I'm not stating you need to  do everything for everybody and become a doormat, definitely not but pay what is due each person.  Just as if you knew you "owed" them money, keep in your mind and in your heart the you OWE them Love.  Not because they deserve it, not because they showed it to you first but because We are Christians, we have Christ on the inside of us, and that is the 1 Law or command we are to do...that's it.  L-O-V-E!

What this means to me:  I need to show love to the unlovely,( not fun but I am commanded to do this by the Lord and if I call him Lord I must obey what he says) No matter what me feelings are for this particular day, I am to give/show love as if I were indebted to each person. Not because of how they behave or what they do or don't do...just LOVE. 
Now I believe that I am a loving persons already but if I look to the Bible for the true definition of love I feel totally inadequate, like a failure....here's Gods definition of love;

⁴Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.    
⁵It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
    ⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.
    ⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].
    ⁸Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. 1Corinthians 13:4-8

Gosh I can't even make it past the first sentence without failing.  BUT here's the good news, we CAN love with Gods love, the love we read about here, because He lives on the inside of us!  That is great news for me! And it should be for you too. 

So friends Lets look to God today to help us pay our debt of LOVE to those around us.  Let us sacrifice our (not so nice) words and our feelings toward a person to show them love.  I think we might be surprised at the reaction we get from some, when we thought they had a Stinky attitude or wrong motives and WE show them LOVE (when we don't feel like it or they don't feel they deserve it), Gods love in us their whole attitude and demeanor can change in one instant. 

I think that deep down everyone has a need for this LOVE, otherwise why would this be our only command from the Lord?

Be Blessed Friends!