Avoiding Debt by T. E. Bowen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 7, 1913

Avoiding Debt

By T. E. Bowen

(Concluded)

The Exercise of Faith and Energy in Providing Means Beforehand

THE instruction that has been given in previous articles to provide beforehand the money that will be needed for any enterprise that is to be begun, does not preclude faith in God, perseverance, and effort. Rather, on the other hand, much of these are often avoided by the easier method at the outset of borrowing the money from some source and beginning before God's providence indicates by his having provided the means.

Pointed Example From Life of George Muller

To emphasize the fact that a struggle of faith is sometimes necessary through much prayer, to keep from debt by first providing the means to build institutions for carrying on God's work, I cannot forbear quoting a little of George Müller's experience, that man of such great faith who was so remarkably used of God in building orphans' homes at Bristol, England, and providing at the last for about two thousand orphans, in securing for them food, clothing, and shelter. The work had grown to such proportions, and the demands to provide for more orphans became so urgent, that Mr. Müller decided to erect two more houses. Of this experience we read:—

"In March, 1866, the plans for two new houses were ready, and in April tenders were received from contractors to build them. Mr. Müller supposed that the building fund accumulated, £34,002 2s., was of ample amount to meet all expenses. But the prices of building material and wages had so increased since the previous houses were built that it appeared from the estimates of contractors that £7,000 more would be needed.

The Sharp Line Between Faith and Presumption

"Now, what was to be done under these circumstances? My decision was made instantly. My heart longed to build two more houses to the honor of the Lord for the benefit of poor children, bereaved of both parents by death; I had brought before the Lord many thousands of prayers during the past five years [during the time this money was being secured]; there were many hundreds of orphans waiting for admission, and their number daily increasing (for during the past year alone, as stated before, six hundred and eleven were applied for to be admitted); but I could not contract debt.

'I Would Not Sign Contracts

which I had not money in hand to meet. Should it be said: 'But your work is so manifestly the Lord's work, it is surely according to his mind that destitute children, who have lost by death both parents, should be cared for, so that you need not be afraid to build though you have not yet all the money in hand, for God will surely help you,' my reply is this: Just because it is the Lord's work, and manifestly his, therefore I can wait, patiently wait his time. When his time is come, he will give to the last shilling all I need; but if I commence BEFORE his time, which I should do were I to begin that for which I have not the means, it would be like saying, 'God has not money enough to pay for his own work;' and, instead of acting in faith, I should act presumptuously. I therefore did this. As I had ample means to meet the contract for [house] No. 4 (for separate tenders were given in for the two houses), I accepted it, and a written agreement was made between the contractor and me that on Jan. 1, 1867, or at any time previously, I might accept his tender for [house] No. 5 also, but should not be bound to do so. If it will, therefore, please the Lord, by the first of January, 1867, to give me about £7,000 more than I have now in hand, the contract for No. 5 will be signed; but I cannot go in debt."—Müller's Life of Trust, pages 457, 458.

God Had His Money Ready on Time

How did it come out with the belated contract for orphan house No. 5? Mr. Müller tells us:—

"On the twenty-sixth of May, 1866, I needed about £7,000 more than I had in hand, to be able to accept the contract for No. 5 without going in debt; but by the thirty-first of December, 1866, the Lord had so graciously helped that a little more than £7,000 had come in by donations and interest, so that a day before the first of January, 1867, I was able to accept and sign the contract for No. 5, the contracts for both houses being £41,147. I had now the desire of my heart given to me, regarding this point also, and had the precious recompense from the Lord, in having received all the money from him for this object without going in debt. Thousands of times I had asked the Lord for the means needed for building these two houses, and now I had, to the full, received the answer."—Id., page 459.

And who dare say that in all this experience God was not the more glorified, and in the end more honor bestowed upon this good work of caring for the orphans, than had Mr. Müller in the crisis gone ahead of the providences of the Lord by beginning building before sufficient money was in hand to complete the work? Instead of paying out interest upon borrowed money, he immediately placed that which he had in hand over and above what was needed for his house No. 4, upon interest, and that came in as an asset to help provide enough by December 31 to build house No. 5.

No Debts on Our Foreign Missions

In carrying on foreign mission work, the denomination has steadily pursued the policy of advancing only as the providence of God has indicated by the gifts from the believers and that obtained in going to those outside the church. Appeals which come from the fields touch tender places, but often the word must be sent back that, while the brethren fully appreciate the appeal for help, on account of a lack of funds it will be impossible to go on with the enterprise now, all the time there being no slackening of the effort to provide mission funds.

With George Müller, the settled policy governing our foreign mission work has been that this world-wide message being manifestly God's work, he is able to provide the means to carry it forward through a willing and liberal people as fast as his providences in distant lands open the way. Earnest efforts have been made to provide the money by keeping the need of missions before the brethren and sisters, and God has provided for the growing cause by increased gifts from year to year.

For his own work he will surely provide, and that, too, without involving his cause in debt, when his servants and people exercise faith in him and follow the counsel he has given in his Word. His sure promise is, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."