TOO much debt becomes an enormous emotional problem for the debtor. I am reminded of my client 20 years ago who killed himself by shooting himself in the chest. By all accounts, he was a successful person. He had high income, $500,000 annually from his profession. But he was also involved in a business that had started to lose money. It was losing about $20,000 a month. Even with his high income, he was having a difficult time financing the loss of $20,000 monthly. He then resorted to borrowing against credit cards until he accumulated $200,000 of debt. When he came to see me, he said he already decided to seek bankruptcy relief because he could not handle his financial losses and debts further. Even though he had decided to seek bankruptcy relief, it appeared to me that he could not accept his “failure” as he described himself. He was so focused on his image as being a successful person. I told him not to worry because it was just a financial problem.
That weekend that he came to see me, he got into his car, drove to a street near to his house, and shot himself in the chest. I felt really sorry for him because, to me, he was a very successful person, despite his financial problems. He had a good profession and a good family, and he was in good health. Instead of counting his blessings from the Lord, he focused on his financial problems and debts and became overwhelmed by the problem. He did not think that his family wanted him to be alive and be with them. Instead, he wanted his problems to end with a gunshot to his chest. He did not call out to God, my God, the God of Moses and Israel, who sent his only and beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to us and who willingly became man through the Blessed Virgin Mary, suffered and died on the cross to redeem us from the consequences of sin so that we may have eternal life with Them in paradise, for help him resolve his financial and debt problems.
God wants us to ask Him for help and rest on Him when we are overburdened by problems in life, and there are many for sure. He doesn’t want us to lose hope and kill ourselves because we are overburdened by debt problems. How do I know that God will give us help and rest? Because He said so and God does not lie.
The Bible is the word of our God. In Timothy 6:15: “He who is the Blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, the Lord of lords.” Mathew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Isn’t it awesome, indeed, amazing, that we who are worthless without our God, have been asked by the King of kings, the Lord of lords, indeed, the Almighty, the creator of the universe, to go to Him, if we are weary and burdened, and He will give us rest!”
If you thirst, see Isaiah 55: “Come, all who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost…” This is the word of our God. Seek Him and ask Him for help, and ask Him for rest. Ask Him for water when you thirst, ask Him for food when you are hungry, even if you have no money. He will give you what you need to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger. God doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. God doesn’t need your money. He created the whole universe!
Mathew 7:7: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks find, and to him who knocks, it will be opened…”
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Lawrence Bautista Yang specializes in bankruptcy, business, real estate and civil litigation and has successfully represented more than five thousand clients in California. Please call Angie, Barbara or Jess at (626) 284-1142 for an appointment at 1000 S Fremont Ave Bldg A-1 Suite 1125 Unit 58 Alhambra, CA 91803.