Pay Your Debts

Give everyone what you owe hi: If you owe two taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:7-8

There are all kinds of people in the world. Some are easy-going -- definitely not the worrying type. They have a casual attitude about everything. They don't concern themselves with they have coming or with what they should do for others. Their live-and-let-live attitude saves them from anxiety, but it can also make them irresponsible. They don't always consider the way they treat others. They're late for appointments. They break their promises and borrow things without returning them.

Then there are others who lean toward the opposite extreme. These are ultra-responsible people who keep a mental account of everything they do for others. They watch carefully to see that they always get what's coming to them. They put heavy demands on themselves. They can also be petty and demanding of others as they're always keeping score. People with this type of personality remind you continually of all that they do for you. And they always know whose turn it is.

The Bible says that Christian should not fall into either category. We should be careful how we treat others. We should respect their time and their possessions. We should be true to our word and honest in our business dealings. This means we won't cheat. It means we repay what we borrow and we give to others whatever God asks us to give them. It means we pull our weight rather than being a burden to others. According to Paul, it is our obligation as Christian to love one another. That's a debt we owe our fellowman; it's not something we give in hope of repayment. The bottom line is this: we are called to be considerate of others. Maybe you lean toward one of the above extremes. Do you tend to be undependable? Or are you a demanding scorekeeper? If you lean either way, pay that God will help you to show proper respect to those around you. In doing so, you are showing respect to God.