Change Your Attitude and Debt-Proof Your Life

You’ve probably heard it said before, but it’s as true now as it ever was: money problems are one of the most consistent reasons for the breakdown of marriages.

That fact is why we return to the topic of money again and again here at Focus on the Family, to help and equip couples who are struggling with their finances.

Our guest on our program Wednesday (Sept. 16), Mary Hunt, has been there. She knows what it’s like to crawl out of incredible financial debt. Years ago, she racked up over $100,000 in consumer debt.

Part of what trapped Mary is the same as what traps millions of other American families – her misuse of credit.

We easily forget that the consumer credit industry has only been around for 40 or 50 years. Past generations never dreamed of spending money they didn’t have. And, yet, credit cards are so common these days many people don’t know how to live their daily lives without them. The credit industry has changed the very mind-set of society.

As Mary discovered – and as she’ll tell you herself – because our attitude about debt is primarily the problem, a different attitude is the solution.

Mary says getting out and staying out of debt is 10 percent about how much money you have and 90 percent about your attitude toward it.

For example, our money and the things we own often become our security. And that’s where the shift in our attitude must begin.

Who do we trust? We know Scripture says, “My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). But do we believe it? Or do we rely on MasterCard and Visa to get us out of our scrapes and emergencies?

It took some time for Mary to develop a new attitude about money. And it took a lot of work for her and her husband to pay off their substantial debt. But they did it. And they accomplished it all with their marriage intact.

Mary joins us in our studios today to share her own personal experiences with overwhelming debt and the freedom that can come with the right attitude and the determination to take control of your finances.

If you’re in debt, you may not even know where to begin to change your perspective and climb out of the financial hole you’re facing. If so, you’ll want to tune in. Mary offers a wealth of practical ideas (no pun intended) to transform your attitude and to debt-proof your life!

Distracting yourself with alternative activities or employing what she calls the “Mvelope” system are just a couple of the simple steps you can take to control your thinking and make better financial choices.

By the way, don’t be worried that Mary will tell you to tear up your credit cards because they’re evil. As she sees it, credit cards are probably one of the best financial tools in our modern society. They just have to be used with the right attitude.

That attitude is what we’ll talk about on our program, “Defeating the Attitudes That Keep You in Debt,” and it’s what Mary discusses fully in her book “Debt-Proof Living: How to Get Out of Debt and Stay that Way.” We’d love to send you a copy for a gift of any amount to our efforts here at Focus on the Family.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll hear in the broadcast:

Be sure to tune into the broadcast tomorrow on your local radio station. You can listen anytime online or via our free, downloadable mobile phone app.