When you are in the debt battle, it is hard to imagine that one day this will be a memory. When David was facing his Goliath, he was totally focused on bringing him down. Debt may be your Goliath today, but eventually your Goliath will lose his head, and then what? There is life after debt.

Scary Freedom

One ironic reaction that many people have to becoming debt free is a new sense of fear. You might think that once you are debt free you will never have another money worry. The opposite is actually true for most people. Once you have safely navigated your way through your Christian Debt Settlement Program, you may find yourself more apprehensive than ever. You now know how damaging financial mistakes can be on your life, your family and your marriage. This new knowledge and wisdom brings with it a sense of fear over messing up again. The last thing you want to do is go backward and make the same mistakes over. However, 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that “God hath not given us a spirit of fear.”

Careful and Confident

You have worked hard to revolutionize your finances and bring glory to God by doing so. This spirit of fear must be traded in for a spirit of confidence. Look at what you have accomplished! Many people never do this. Many people file bankruptcy or just surrender to society’s mandated cycle of debt. You have done something remarkable, and God is pleased with that. You acknowledged the problem, sought out Christian financial help, and worked hard to do right. You have earned the right to feel confident about your choices. You have the tools to continue to make good choices. Look at each financial decision as it comes up and ask yourself, “Is this wise? Is this practical? Is this going to bring glory to God?” Tell yourself every day that you have made good financial decsions and you will continue to make good financial decisions.

Be a Blessing

If you have spent years struggling just to pay your own bills, you may not have had much left over for giving. That can all change now. There are few things as fulfilling as giving to others and being able to do it without worry. The Bible speaks of being a “cheerful giver” and that is so much easier when you are out of debt.

Build the Emergency Fund

If during your Christian Debt Program you did not entirely fund your emergency account, continue working on this goal. Establishing a fully funded emergency account takes some time. Three to six months’ worth of regular expenses is quite a bit of cash by any standard. Keep working toward that goal, because once you have accomplished this there will be almost nothing you can’t handle with a spirit of confidence and wisdom.

Think About Investing

If you have not already begun investing, now is the time to consider this exciting option. When you were living pay check to pay check this was not even a possibility for you. Now, you can take control of your money and make it work for you. Keep to low risk investment options at first while you are still learning.

Reward Yourself

Now may be the time to reward yourself in some way. While you were in the trenches of Christian Debt Management, you may have made some pretty big sacrifices. You may have had to entirely reprogram your way of life. You are a better person for it. You have learned moderation, but moderation does not mean you can never enjoy yourself again. If all of your duckies are in a row, and all of your obligations are met, what little thing might you do for yourself?