Proverbs 6:1-5
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, to free yourself…
LORD POLONIUS:
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
Shakespeare, Hamlet
Several years ago a friend of mine truly needed a car. Her car broke down; she was a single, working mom and didn't have enough to make a down payment. I made the down payment and became a co-signor on the loan. My friend couldn't make the payment, wrecked the car, and I had to finish making all the car payments. A few years ago I purchased some investment properties. It looked smart a few years ago, but when the housing market collapsed, I was left carrying mortgages that are now undervalued.
I am learning to give a loan or to receive a loan may be a way to circumvent God’s plan to teach us to be content with what we have and to wait on his timing.
"He who puts up security for another will surely suffer." (Proverbs 11:15) I, too, have been both borrower and lender. From my experiences, it appears that both parties suffer because we move ourselves outside of the will of God by not obeying His Word.
ReplyDelete"The borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7) Lending and borrowing change the dynamics of our relationships and may lead to conflict, strife and bondage. God wants us to walk in love and freedom by trusting HIM to provide our needs and the needs of those we love.