When it comes to paying back family members or someone truly in need, I believe those people should be paid back in full. But when it comes to working with some of these lending companies, it’s less of a moral issue and more of a simple numbers issue.
The creditors that allow for debt negotiation do so for a reason. They know that in the end, they still come out on top and walk away with gobs of money.
(Again, keep in mind that with debt negotiation,
you’re still paying back a large sum, if not significantly more, than what you originally borrowed - just on better, less exploitative terms. It’s not as if you’re borrowing and paying back nothing)
That said, what does the Bible actually say about debt and debt negotiation? Well, in Psalm 37:21, God’s people are told they ought to repay their debts. But here’s what else was true:
1st of all, the Israelites weren’t allowed to charge each other interest. Paying back your debt to a fellow Israelite wasn’t nearly as difficult as trying to repay a credit card at 29% interest. In fact, that would have never been allowed.
Usury - the practice of making high interest loans that unfairly enrich the lender - which is what most banks are practicing today, is condemned throughout the Bible when lending from one Israelite to another:
- Exodus 22:25 (NIV): "If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest."
- Leviticus 25:35-37 (NIV): "If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit."
- Deuteronomy 23:19 (NIV): "Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest."
Obviously, this concept of not charging interest flies in the face of modern day banking.
Second, the concept of debt forgiveness is present in the Bible. It’s a way of restoring economic balance and relieving the poor.
In fact, debt forgiveness/cancellation was a common practice for Israelites. There were even laws that helped ensure lending didn’t become a tool for oppression.
- The Year of Jubilee: Every 50 years, debts were forgiven, and land was returned to its original owners (Leviticus 25:8-55). This ensured that families could recover from financial hardships.
- Sabbath Year (AKA the Year of Release): Every seven years, debts were canceled (Deuteronomy 15:1-2), providing regular relief for those in debt.
We live in a time and a country where millions are being charged 20-30% or more on unsecured debts, which is an interest rate you wouldn’t have been paying back in the times of Moses. No wonder so many of God’s people struggle to get free!
We also see examples of debt forgiveness in the New Testament like the parable in Matthew 18. A servant owed his master 10 thousand bags of gold, and after much pleading, the master kindly cancelled the debt (verse 27). I’m pretty sure that amount the servant owed makes your debt look like peanuts.
All that to say, while it’s great to want to pay back these companies in full (and you often will, plus significantly more), a more important moral obligation is securing your family’s well being and financial future.
Not only that, debt negotiation can allow you to save and give more to those who truly need it vs. these massive companies sitting on huge sums of money. What could you do with that money instead for the kingdom? I’m sure you’d put that money to better than Wells Fargo or Bank of America.