Column: The Christianity debt crisis

There is a brewing debt crisis in the Christian community. I am not talking about the $33 trillion debt the US government has accumulated. I am not even talking about the average American who is $101,915 in debt, according Experian.

I am talking about the debt crisis followers of Christ fall into when they are convinced they owe their flesh something.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:12, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.”

First, what is the flesh? Martin Luther in his commentary on Romans described the flesh this way, “flesh” equates to affections and desires that run contrary to God, not only in the area of sexual activity, but in every area of life.” The flesh is that part of me that is against God and dominated by sin, so much so it is said, that wherever sin is, the flesh is also there.

It appears Paul is saying in Romans 8:12, you owe that part of you nothing. However, too many Christians prioritize their lives like they owe the flesh much. We skip church to fulfill the desires of our flesh. We say things like, “I owe it to myself.” Or, “I earned this.”

We run kids far and near for athletic events, like we owe them that. We forfeit prayer time because we need to get going to do who knows what. We fail to share Christ because we are afraid of what someone might think of yes. Paul is saying, you are not obligated to fulfill those desires at all.

As followers of Christ and members in our society, we feel all this pressure to participate in all these things in flesh. Parents are made to feel inept if they are not running their kids around in the mini-van from the final bell at school to late at night.

Parents must participate in every group, chat room, etc. to stay on top of things. We have adopted hierarchy of worth based on busyness. Most of that busyness, that not necessarily is wrong, is often keeping us from the things of God. Paul is saying we are not in debt to that part of our lives.

Does the Bible tell me someone or something I am in debt to? Yes, it does. Listen to what Paul said in Romans 13:8, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

As a busy pastor, I often have to remind myself of this. What I must do is love Jesus with all my heart, soul and mind. Also, to love my neighbor as myself (Matthew 22:36-39). I owe my flesh nothing.

Todd Grover is the pastor at Maranatha Baptist Church.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Too many Christians prioritize lives by world standards