Perhaps the only upside of America’s (and American’s) debt problems is the many funny memes spawned by the financial precariousness. Currently, the national debt stands at over $36 trillion, more than $100,000 of debt for every person in the country. That’s on top of the debt personally incurred by 77% of American households, which is on average to the tune of about $65,000. At least a third of Americans have some form of credit card debt, arguably the most dangerous kind.  

Personal debt, whether the result of poor financial decisions or causes beyond one’s control, can cause incredible stress on individuals and families. At a civilizational level, however, debt is an indicator of decline, a symptom of a destructive worldview in which immediate gratification is prioritized over and above long-term thinking. In his 1941 book The Crisis of Our Age, the great sociologist Pitirim Sorokin categorized cultures between two extremes: ideational or sensate. Ideational cultures are oriented around ideals, aspirational visions that govern and direct social life. Sensate cultures are oriented around immediate fulfillment, focused on the immediate gratification of physical desires.  

Extreme levels of debt are signs that a culture or civilization has become sensate, seeking immediate gratification. Irresponsible spending habits and sacrificing financial security to acquire what is new and flashy are the primary ways that we succumb to a materialistic, consumeristic worldview, a vision of life that is built on the immediate and rejects anything ultimate. This is like the worldview that Paul described in 1 Corinthians 15, of those who denied the resurrection and said to themselves, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 

Jesus offered serious warnings about the relationship between image bearers and things, especially when He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Looking for security or satisfaction in the frivolous is futile and leads to a frivolous heart. Only God is big enough to secure and satisfy the human heart. As St. Augustine famously wrote, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” 

In contrast to the prevailing messages of our sensate culture, money and what it can buy are means, not ends. They are tools to worship and serve. There may be nothing more counterculture than an understanding of money that aligns with who we are as image bearers and with our highest calling to love God above all else. From this biblical perspective, intentionally racking up debt is not only unwise, but it may also be unloving, an unnecessary burden put upon future generations. When used as God intended, our approach to wealth and what it can buy blesses God and others, not only in the present, but for years to come. 

Recently, the Colson Center team worked through a Christian vision of wealth, saving, and finance. Navigating Your Finances God’s Way is a helpful introduction to rethinking what money and our relationship to it should be. This course on financial discipleship is produced by Compass, and it begins with the fundamental truth of a truly Christian worldview: everything belongs to God. Learn more about Compass and the resources they have for various demographics at compassfinancialministry.org.