This week, Dave talked about breaking the chains of debt. He went through several, common myths about debt and then told the truth about them. I have to admit, I’ve believed some of them before. Fortunately, I’m still too young to have had the opportunity to get myself into too much trouble. 
And thankfully, I’m learning how to avoid it in this lesson now!
But what really got me excited was the end when he was talking about the gazelle intensity! If you’ve never heard him talk about this, here is the idea: He showed a video of a gazelle running away from a cheetah. The cheetah represents debt and debtors, and you’re the gazelle. The gazelle has to literally run for it’s life! For it’s LIFE! And this is how we should look at debt. He got the idea from this scripture which deals with debt:
“Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand.” – Proverbs 6:5a
We can take one of two approaches with debt. We can give in and just let it attack us, or we can run for our life and beat it. I was getting so inspired! Bob and I came home and I realized there were things in my current financial situation that I was giving in to. But last night, I made the decision that I’m going to run for my life!
More than finances
This really applies to so many other areas of life. For example, I just decided that I am going to exercise consistently. I decided it is necessary for a good, long, healthy life and I’m going to let my laziness take away life from me! I’m going to run for my life!
And let me tell you that once you start these wheels in motion, they want to keep going. One of the pastors at my church always reminds me of Newton’s first law of motion: A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. If you’re in motion, running from debt, keep going! You know it is so much easier to keep going. If you’re not already running, get your butt in gear! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
I know that it may feel like debt is your friend because it is helping you get all the things that you want, but let me assure you, it’s not your friend. It causes worry, sleeplessness, stress, and eventually you can lose everything if you’re not careful. Believe me, I understand this kind of thinking. I lived that way. Then I realized this:
“The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” – Proverbs 22:7
The faster you can get out the better. I’m convinced it’s not God’s plan for us to all be in debt. But I am convinced that it is socially acceptable. My favorite quote from last night was this: “If your broke friends are making fun of you, you’re on the right track.”
Go for it!
Photo by Paul Brink
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Debt is definitely something that society and our culture has tricked us into believing. Debt is a product that has been marketed to us so aggressively since the late 1960s. And we all fell for it. You need debt to win. Debt is normal.
Not true at all. We’ve been lied too.
I love this concept and try to live it out myself. There is a hilarious video related to this at http://www.bibledebt.com/2010/03/05/run-for-your-lives/ if you need a laugh today.
Thanks for the encouraging article Linda!
I love that clip! when we went through Dave Ramsey FPU series.. watching that clip was both inspiring and challenging! It’s then that we decided we needed to get our finances in order. Although we are still working toward this goal .. it was a defining moment for us.
Great description of lesson #4! The more gazelle intense you can be the fast you get out of debt and can breath normally.
I like how the cheetah picks out the baby gazelle hoping to catch it but it gets away. That’s what it’s been like for many of the credit card companies hoping to catch kids before they get strong enough to realize what debt’s doing to them.
Keep up the good work.
Well said, and I appreciate the details you mention regarding Dave’s plan. The benefits of physical and financial fitness go hand-in-hand because they both help you enjoy the life God has given you more fully than slothful spendthrifts. I wish you success on both of these goals.
Great article Linda! That is absolutely right, financial freedom and health are connected, but it does not stop there. Many things are linked together. The added stress from debt can have physiological effects on us. It is quite clear that finances can have an effect on our relationships. One more that is often overlooked is our spirituality. The absence of debt allows us to be a little more generous. Generosity and tithing is an act of worship. When all of our money is spoken for because of decisions we have made, we are missing out on a huge opportunity to become more godly (the latter thoughts are based on lessons by both Dave Ramsey and Mike Glen at Kairos in Brentwood TN).
If you’ve seen Dave live or a video clip of him narrating the scene where the cheetah chases the gazelle, it’s awesome. He gets intense – screaming and yelling. It’s really drives the point home.
Thanks for the article Linda,
Debt is certainly not the right choice. Many of us grew up thinking debt is the best option to acquire financial freedom. But, we all went wrong. Man can live without debts, all we need is proper management.
The Dumping Debt lesson is definitely the most inspirational because of his energy towards the end. Besides the Great Misunderstanding, it is my favorite, although they are all really good.
I am coordinating my third group of classes right now. I just got finished with the first lesson. FPU is definitely something every household should go through.
Nice post!