“Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”  Galatians 6:9 (TLB)

Debt can sometimes feel like a bottomless pit you’ll never get out of. But God doesn’t want you to keep sinking deeper; he wants you to experience financial freedom.

Here are some steps you can follow to not only get out of debt but stay out of debt permanently:

1. Commit to becoming debt-free now. Taking this first step is often the most difficult part of the whole journey! If you’re in debt, you need to commit to becoming debt-free by repaying all your debts. That takes commitment, discipline, perseverance, character, sacrifice, and delayed gratification. No one just drifts out of debt. Getting out of debt is intentional. So commit today to becoming debt-free.

2. Give to God and to yourself. Even when you’re working to get out of debt, you need to tithe (give to God) and save (give to yourself). When you want God to bless an area of your life, you need to put him first in that area. As the Bible says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33 NIV). If you want God to bless your finances, you need to put him first in your finances. You do that by tithing and saving.

3. List all you own, owe, and earn. The Bible says, “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established” (Proverbs 24:3 NIV). To be wise about your money, you have to understand where your money is coming from and where it’s going.

People say that money talks, but it doesn’t. It just walks away quietly. It’s so easy to get to the end of the month and ask, “Where did all the money go?” But when you create a budget, you tell your money where you want it to go rather than wondering where it went. A budget is simply planned spending.

4. Set up a repayment plan to get out of debt. You won’t get out of debt accidentally; you need to have a plan. The Bible says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity” (Proverbs 21:5 NLT). If you’re not sure how to set up a repayment plan, you need to find a financial coach. In the same way you might go to the doctor when you’re sick, seeing a professional financial adviser—or even a wise friend who’s good with money—can help you get back to financial health.

5. Add no new debt. While you’re going through your financial plan to get out of debt, don’t add any new debt. The simplest way to do this may be for you literally to cut up your credit cards. As you learn to live without them, learn to embrace this truth too: “Be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). 

6. Stick to it. Getting out of debt is not easy. It takes discipline, effort, and sacrifice. In other words, you’ve got to stick to it. The Bible says, “Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up” (Galatians 6:9 TLB). 

You don’t have control over what the economy does. But you do have control over how much you give, save, and spend. Commit to getting out of debt and doing your finances God’s way, no matter what happens with the economy.