From the Pastor's Wife

Here is a list of things Mrs. Nancy Wilson gleaned from Pastor Wilson's sermon this past Lord's Day. If you want to listen to the sermon you can find it here. Her comments were worth posting in full. So I did. All the following is from her blog.

Today the sermon was on Romans 13:8-10 particularly verse 8, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.” Here are some highlights from the application:
1. Don’t abuse your family. Do you swipe money or stuff from your parents (or siblings) and figure that it’s all in the family?

2. Just because you wouldn’t mind if someone swiped twenty out of your purse doesn’t mean they won’t mind if you swipe twenty out of theirs. So don’t abuse the Golden Rule. Just because you think you wouldn’t mind if they broke your lawnmower doesn’t mean that they won’t mind that you just broke theirs. Repair it and return it.

3. Words are free. The debtor should be chasing the lender, not the other way around. If you owe someone money, chase them down and tell them you will pay them as soon as you can. And keep chasing them down regularly to tell them you are working on it. In the world, the creditor always has to chase down the debtor.Christians should be known for their honesty.

4. Don’t abuse the passage of time. Just because you borrowed the money a long time ago doesn’t mean it is now paid. A poor memory is not the same thing as a good conscience.

5. Don’t measure your neighbor’s love with the yardstick of your debts. His love is not your business. Your business is whether you are loving him and obeying God by taking care of your debts.

6. Don’t nickle and dime your friends to death. Kids do this. Can I borrow a quarter? A pencil? You must return what you borrow and not presume on the friendship. Your friends won’t like it. You will become known as a mooch.

7. Just because the person you owe has a nicer house or a nicer car than you do does not mean you don’t have to pay them. Physicians often only receive half the money owed them, and you don’t know whether they are having a hard time making payroll. Pay your bills regardless of what you think their needs may be. Their needs are not the point and not your business.

8. Don’t ask businessmen and women to mentor your kids for free just because we are all members of a tight-knit community. Don’t bring your sick kitty to the church potluck to ask the vet in the congregation for free advice.

9. How many of the books on your shelves (or dvd’s) belong to someone else? Return them. If you don’t, you are a thief.

10. If you break something you borrowed, replace it. Don’t return it broken and say, “Oh well, we’re friends, she won’t mind.” Enough with “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” That’s not an excuse for not paying your bills.