Dave Ramsey has spent the last several decades coaching (sometimes chiding, even groveling and begging) Christians to get out of debt and bring their finances in line with biblical principles.
He's one of those "bee" loved characters The Babylon Bee (may it thrive forever!) loves to make fun of, never missing an opportunity to satirize his no-nonsense approach to money matters.
Here's one or two of my favorites …
But the man who has made a living and a legacy saying "NO" has turned the tables this Christmas with a money move that ya just can't make fun of, by paying off a total of $10 million in medical and car debt of some 8,000 people!
In his own words:
When I started my company 30 years ago, my wife and I were just starting to rebuild after a financial catastrophe. We still remember the nasty collection calls, and the uncertainty of living paycheck to paycheck. We had been borrowers, slaves to the lenders. And there were times we'd daydream about all that debt just miraculously disappearing.
Our team at Ramsey Solutions was able to make that dream come true for 8,000 people this holiday season.
I always tell my team that we are blessed for one reason, and that reason is so we can be a blessing to others.
So, our company bought medical and car debt from two private debt collection companies—to the tune of $10 million—and completely forgave it. No strings attached, no contest to enter, and no hoops to jump through. Just gone.
But wait. This is Dave Ramsey. Surely he made each and every recipient of the debt relief promise to stay debt-free for the rest of their lives, right? Surely he made them cut up their credit cards as proof of their worthiness and fidelity.
Ummm, that would be a big NO!
There was no catch. We didn't make them promise to start living on a budget, or cut up their credit cards, and we didn't pitch any of our products.
By the time we were giving the good news to folks on the phone, the debt had already been paid. There was nothing for them to do but get off the phone, tell their family and friends, and celebrate!
But why?! Why would they do this?
Well, the answer is simple—to show the love of Jesus Christ. You see, this whole completely forgiving a debt thing has been done before—by Him. No other gift could compare to that one, but we felt this was one, small way we could continue to pass on that love.
