Should I Ever Borrow Again? The Truth About “Good Debt”

Have you ever looked at a loan offer and felt torn inside? Part of you thinks, maybe this is smart. But then another part of you whispers, I don't ever want to feel trapped again like I felt before.And if that tension feels familiar, my friend, you're not wrong for feeling it. Today we're going to slow this down and bring some peace into the question. Should I ever borrow again? The truth about Good debt. We ride. Hey, friend.Ralph Estep Jr. Here.Welcome to Financially Confident Christian, where we learn how to walk through life and money with wisdom, with peace, and with the heart anchored in God's truth.My mission is simple to help you break that cycle of financial shame, build steady habits rooted in faith, and truly become the kind of believer who handles money with clarity, with confidence, and with spiritual purpose. Yesterday we talked about motivation, how to keep going when progress feels slow.And today we're going to step into a question that often shows up right after we get to that point. Should we ever borrow again? And is there really such a thing as good debt? But today I want to talk about it calmly.I want to talk about it honestly, and I want to talk about it without pressure. A listener recently asked me, ralph, I'm working hard to get out of debt, but what if I need a loan again someday?Does borrowing mean I've failed again? Or am I overthinking this? And as I pondered that question, that question carries a lot of wheat.And I'm really glad it was asked today, because here's what you might be feeling but haven't said out loud. You're afraid of going backwards. You're afraid of undoing that progress you made. You're afraid of feeling that knot in your chest again.And you're wondering if wisdom and borrowing can exist in the same sentence. And, friend, I want to reassure you right now, there's no shame in that fear. It tells me that you care and you're not alone in it.Research consistently shows this debt itself isn't the only problem. It's unclear expectations. It's that emotional pressure. For so many of us, that lack of margin. That's what usually create distress.In other words, it's not what you borrow, it's how and why you borrow. And over the years, I've walked with people who use debt carefully and slept just fine at night.But I've also worked with people who borrowed because they felt rushed, because they felt pressured over so many of us. They felt afraid of missing out. The difference wasn't intelligence. It was peace.And I'll never forget A couple I work with, they wanted to buy a home. And that was their dream. They wanted to buy their home. And on paper, the numbers worked perfectly.But in their hearts, as they talked about it, they felt constantly tight. Money just felt really tight up to them.So instead of rushing in like so many people do, they waited one more year, they built a little more margin, and they prayed through that decision. And when they finally moved forward, nothing about the house changed, but everything about their peace changed. So here's the real question for today.Does this decision lead me towards peace or towards pressure? Let that guide us as we walk through this. First of all, some debt can help building something meaningful, for example, like a home.Most people can't afford to go out and pay cash for a home. That home gives your family stability. That's good use of debt. How about for an education? An education will actually raise your earning power.Many of us business people use it as a business tool. It allows us to serve more people. But I want you to take a minute and notice what all of these have in common.All of these are not treat yourself debt. They're build debt. And I want to really focus on that. They're connected to something that lasts, something that grows, something that serves.So really the question isn't, is debt good or bad? The question is, what is this debt building? Because if it's not building something, it's usually borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today.Here's the second thing I want you to consider. Every form of debt carries responsibility, even the kind people call good debt. Because good debt still has a due date every month.It still charges interest. It still expects a payment whether your month goes smooth or your life goes sideways. And hey, listen, you're like me. Life goes sideways sometimes.And debt doesn't just take our money. It takes our options. It limits our freedom to pivot, it limits our freedom to rest, it limits our freedom to give.And it limits our freedom to say yes to what God is calling you to do without checking your account first. So don't let that label good make you careless. Good debt can become heavy debt real fast if your plan is fuzzy.Here's the third thing I want you to consider. Wisdom asks for discernment, not assumptions. And this one will really rock you a little bit today.Just because something is common doesn't mean it's right for you. You might hear things like, everybody finances cars, so it's okay to have a car loan.Or maybe everybody uses credit cards, so sweep that credit card again. Or you might hear this one Everybody just puts it on a paint. But your calling isn't everybody. Your budget isn't everybody.Your stress level isn't everybody. And guess what? Your margin isn't everybody as well. So, again, here's a better question to ask.Is this wise for my life in this season with these responsibilities? And see, that's an individual discussion. Because sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is admit this.I don't have the margin for that right now. I'm not going to normalize pressure. I'm not borrowing to prove something. Fourth, never borrow what you can't repay. With both integrity and peace.You might be saying, okay, Ralph, what does integrity mean? Integrity means you can pay it back without games, without tricks, or without scrambling. And peace means this.You can pay it back without losing sleep, without snapping at your family or living under constant pressure. That couple that I work with, they could have bought the house a year before that. But they didn't want to have no peace in their life.They didn't want to snap at each other. They wanted to be able to keep that peace in their home. Because God can guide you into a stretch, but he's not the author of panic.And the only way this works is if everything goes perfectly, if your income never dips, if the car never breaks, if nothing unexpected happens. And see, that's not a good way to go. That's not a plan. That's a wish. But peace is a test. And it looks like this.If you can't repay it with peace, it's probably too much. And finally, if a decision steals your rest, it deserves your prayer.Not because prayer is some magic stamp that makes risk choices safe, but because prayer slows you down long enough to hear the truth, to ask those questions that we all avoid. Why do I want to do this? Am I trying to impress someone? Am I trying to fix a feeling that I have right at this moment?Or maybe for you, it's, am I trying to buy relief? And then ask the most important question of them all. Lord, is this your wisdom or my anxiety? Because sometimes the answer isn't never borrow.Sometimes the answer is wait or save. Or start smaller, pay cash, ask for help. Or maybe choose peace over pressure. And I want you to know this right now, friend.Peace is not a weak choice. Peace is often the wisest choice. Let's look at Romans, chapter 13, verse 8.It says, Let no debt remain outstanding except for the continuing debt to love one another. This verse isn't about fear. It's actually about freedom. God's heart is never to trap you, but to guide you gently towards peace and wisdom.And Lord, we just thank you for being patient with us as we make financial decisions. Give us clarity when we feel unsure. Lord, calm our hearts when pressure speaks loudly. Help us choose wisdom over impulse and peace over fear.We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. Here's your small step today. I want you to write down one type of debt you've been considering.Just write it down and then I want you to pray over it. Now, we're not praying for permission, but we're praying for peace and for wisdom. And I love what one listener recently shared with me.She said, ralph, I stopped feeling rushed when I realized God wasn't disappointed in my questions. What I'm talking about here is the financially confident Christian community.And you can join our community by going to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/join again. That's financiallyconfidentchristian.com/Join. That's the heart of this community.A place where you can think clearly, where you can move slowly and grow without judgment. And you're always welcome here. So I'm encourage you to go check that out, friend. God is not in a hurry with you and wisdom is allowed to take time.You don't need to have every answer today. You just need to keep choosing peace one step at a time. So today, go out there and be a financially confident Christian. I have confidence in you.You can do this. Stay financially savvy, God bless you and I'll see you again on tomorrow's show.