The old adage says, “If your output exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.”

Stress is the leading cause of health problems. And stress about making, managing, using and abusing money abounds. Money problems are frequently cited as the major factor in the epidemic of  divorce. Consumerism has left many broken homes and shattered dreams in its wake.

According to the Federal Reserve, Americans currently owe over $2.1 trillion. There are a variety of products and services available to help one get out of debt. Debit consolidation loans, second mortgages, not-for-profit consumer credit services and even bankruptcy are some of the more popular solutions.

The Apostle Paul is not normally considered a money management guru — but he does offer sage advice: “Let no debt remain outstanding.” (Rom. 13: 8 NIV) If we could simply learn to live within our means, life would be much simpler.

However, the focus of Paul’s instruction is not as much on paying bills as on the one debt that is never satisfied.  We all owe the debt of love.

We are loved is the heartbeat of the Gospel. God does not love us because we are good enough, deserve or can earn his love. His love is not a response to something loveable in the human heart. Nor is his love a Divine inducement for us to love and serve him in return. God is not a lonely Almighty in need of human attention to be fulfilled.

Indeed, there can only be one explanation for his great love for us — God is love. God’s nature is revealed in love. Within the Godhead the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Father, the Son loves the Spirit and the Spirit loves the Son, and the Spirit loves the Father and the Father loves the Spirit. There is a complete and harmonious love relationship within the Trinity.

But God declares and demonstrates his love for us “while we were yet sinners” — before there was any human guarantee that we would acknowledge or respond to his love — “Christ died for us.” And the extent of that love is that the One who knew no sin became sin in our place!

We are to love others is the only appropriate response to God’s love. The challenge is illustrated in the ditty, “to dwell above with those we love, that will be such glory but to live below with those we know, now that’s another story.” Yet it is in the nitty gritty of living with “those we know” that love is to be fully expressed. Love is not a philosophical abstraction. Nor can it be lived in isolation for others.

Jesus saw the fulfillment of righteous living as summarized by love for God and love for neighbor. Paul, drawing upon that insight, says that the law is fulfilled in neighbor love. Indeed, our claim to love God is most clearly validated by neighbor love.