Why Does Debt Feel Like a Prison — And Is Freedom Really Possible?

Speaker A00:00:00

Have you ever noticed that debt doesn't just live on a statement? It follows you everywhere. It shows up when you're trying to fall asleep. It shows up when you check the mail.It shows up when you check that bank app and your stomach tightens before the screen even loads. It's not just numbers. It's a weight. And sometimes you wonder, why does this feel so heavy? Why does it feel like I can't breathe?And let me tell you right now, friend, you're not weak for feeling that. Then today we're going to talk about why debt feels like a prison and why freedom, yes, freedom is still possible. Hey, friend. Ralph Estep Jr. Here.Welcome to Financially Confident Christian, where we learn how to walk through life and with money, with wisdom, with peace, and with a heart anchored in God's truth. My mission on the show is pretty simple.I want to help you break that cycle of financial shame and build those steady habits that are rooted in faith and become the kind of believer who handles money with clarity, with confidence, and with purpose. Yesterday we talked about trusting God when the numbers feel tight, about holding faith and wisdom together.And today we're going to start a brand new conversation, one a lot of people avoid but quietly carry every day. We're going to start talking about debt.And we're not talking about it from a place of condemnation and not from a place of fear, but with truth and with hope. A listener asked me this, Ralph, I am buried in debt. I feel stuck. And sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get free. Is there something wrong with me?And I just want to pause there for a second. That question takes so much courage to ask. Is there something wrong with me? No, there's nothing wrong with you.But I want to give you a gentle answer today because what you might be feeling is this. Ralph, I made choices now that I've come to regret. I know I should have known better, Ralph. I feel ashamed every time I think about it.And see, here's the problem, friend. Debt doesn't just affect your finances. If it did, that'd be easier to deal with. But it doesn't. It weighs on your heart.It steals your peace, and it whispers lies to you. But let me say this clearly. Being in debt does not mean you're irresponsible. It doesn't mean you're foolish. And it does not mean you're beyond hope.It just means you're human. And guess what? You're living in a world where borrowing is easy and freedom can feel so far away. I need you to Hear this.That conviction is pulling you towards God. That shame pushes you away from him. And today is not about shame. Here's what people don't talk about. Enough.That creates a constant sense of obligation. It's like your mind is always on the on button. Always calculating, always bracing, always trying to hold it together.So if you've been feeling anxious or maybe tense, or hey, maybe you're just tired. That heaviness you're feeling is not imaginary. It's what pressure does when it follows you everywhere.And over the years, I've walked with people across the entire debt spectrum. I've seen credit card debt, student loan debt, medical bills, business debt. And I've learned this one thing. Debt rarely starts with bad intentions.It usually starts with survival or maybe hope, or maybe a season that felt overwhelming. And freedom doesn't start with judgment. It actually starts with honesty. I think about one couple I work with.They avoided looking at their debt because it felt crushing to them. But when they finally wrote everything down, they expected to be in utter despair. But instead they felt relief. Not because their numbers were small.Listen, their numbers were not small. They had a ton of debt. But because fear had finally lost its power. See, that awareness didn't trap them any longer. It opened a door.So here's today's gentle question. What if debt feels like a prison? Not because you're trapped forever, but because you haven't been shown a path out yet.You don't need a miracle to start. You just need a map. Let's talk about what debt really does and where freedom actually begins. Here's the thing that debt does.Debt borrows from tomorrow, friend. Debt isn't just money. It's your future margin that you're using today.That monthly payment that you're setting yourself up or limits your choices you haven't even made yet. That's why I feel so heavy. Because debt often promises relief. It whispers these things, this will help. This is going to fix it.Well, this will make things so much easier. And sometimes it does, but just for a moment.But then often that credit card covers the emergency and creates this longer season of pressure that short term relief can turn into long term stress. I've seen it so many times. I've seen it my own life. But awareness is the first step towards freedom. See, freedom doesn't start with a payoff plan.It starts with clarity. It's that writing it down, looking at it, naming it. That light breaks those chains. Because God heart is freedom, not shame.God doesn't reveal truth to punish you. He reveals truth to lead you. Freedom is a process, not a moment. And guess what? God is patient with the process. Look at what Proverbs 22:7 says.The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender. Yeah, that's pretty harsh, isn't it? That's not condemnation. That's just clarity. God names the weight so he can guide you towards release.Lord, thank you for the truth that frees us. Give us courage to face reality without fear. Replace shame with hope. Replace pressure with peace. And lead us step by step towards freedom.And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen. Here's today's step. I want you to write down every debt that you have. And for each one, I want you to write this. Who's it with? What's the balance?What's the minimum payment? And what's the interest rate? Of course, if you can find it. And we're not doing this for hiding. We're not doing it for judgment.We're doing it just for clarity. Because this isn't failure. It's the first act of freedom, friend. If debt feels isolating, you're not alone in that.Inside the financially confident Christian community, people often say, this is the first place I felt safe enough to tell the truth about money. Grace lives there, support lives there, and hope lives there. I want to encourage you to go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join again.That's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join. You're welcome whenever you're ready. And let me leave you with this. Debt may feel like a prison, but it does not get the final word.Because God is patient. Freedom is possible. And this journey starts today.Now, tomorrow we're going to talk about the debt stories you've been told and whether they're actually true. We're going to demyst some things tomorrow, but today I want you to go out there and be a financially confident Christian. You can do this.Stay financially savvy. God bless you and make sure you join me on tomorrow's show.