Do we walk away?

It's one of life's largest stress points. People choose careers based on it, kids think it grows on trees. It causes huge debates in marriages and leads to the end of some. Money. How to spend it, how to allocate, what to give, what not to give, what to do with it, and usually, how to get more.

I would say that 95% of all conversations that Jeff and I have are about three things: God, our family, and money. It didn't take completing the Dave Ramsey study "Financial Peace University" to know that our finances were out of whack or that we have made very poor financial decisions. But the question has always remained and continues to remain, what do we do now? We've spent the last year and a half working on better budgeting, tithing, cutting expenses, saving and planning for specifics, practicing biblical finances any way we could, and yet we find ourselves continually sinking further into debt. After much financial analysis and prayer, we know the culprit is our house.

So what do you do? We feel so emotionally torn and I personally am totally confused. The purchase of our house is something that we committed to buy - I don't care about current market value or paying more than it's worth - we agreed to pay for this house. How can walking away be the right ethical decision? But if we stay, then we continue to choose to live above our means leading us further into debt until we have no choice but to walk away.

My heart screams to make the decision that glorifies God. On one side, I just can't see how making a choice to walk away from a financial commitment could be something that glorifies God. But on the other side, continuing to have expenses above our means is irresponsible and poor financial stewardship of God's money. So essentially, to not walk away would mean to continue to live in sin as well.

My heart is grieved, burdened and repentant of the poor financial decisions made in our past. Teach me, O Lord, my heart reaches for you. So us YOUR solution.