Hope For Financially Stressed Single Parents

Are creditors after you?

An experience with debt collectors is written about in the Bible. In 2 Kings, a widow feared losing her 2 sons to slavery because of money owed to a creditor. She cried out to the prophet Elisha. He told her to borrow vessels from her neighbors and pour her jar of oil into them. We’re not told what she thought about Elisha’s counsel, but she trusted, obeyed, and witnessed a miracle. Her single jar of oil filled every vessel. The prophet then told her to sell the oil, pay off the debt, and live on the rest. His advice involved work and faith. When the widow obeyed, God multiplied her efforts.

Today, many Americans are living far beyond their means. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, nearly 10% of our disposable income is spent on debt repayment. Like the widow in 2 Kings, homes led by single parents today often struggle to make ends meet. Parenting alone is hard. It’s very hard. Death, divorce, or children born outside of marriage create seemingly impossible situations, but God works in mysterious ways, and He’s able to do far more than we ask or imagine. In fact, single parents may experience the love of God and His amazing grace in ways others will never know. So married or single, trust the Lord, work hard, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Like the Apostle Paul, “Rejoice in your sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

And if you need help with credit card debt, Christian Credit Counselors are the best. They’ll create a debt management plan specifically for you. For more information visit online at crown.org/ccc.