What could make a woman pass on a pedicure, refuse hair appointments, and choose at-home eating over dining out? For Natalie P. McNeal, the answer was $20,000 of debt. She became “The Frugalista” when she declared a personal “no-buy month,” and saved hundreds of dollars, which she applied to her balance due. By continuing this practice, she soon paid off all $20,000 she owed.

Digging out of debt is much easier said than done. One woman in the Bible was so far in the red that creditors had threatened to snatch her two sons as payment (2 Kings 4:1). With no husband and no income, she went to the prophet Elisha for help.

Elisha first asked the widow, “What do you have in the house?” (2 Kings 4:2). That was a good question, because it’s often possible to take stock of one’s stuff and sell something to pay down debt. Although we may have a python’s grip on the items we’ve purchased (Matthew 19:21-22), the Bible tells us to “give to everyone what [we] owe them” (Romans 13:7).

Unfortunately, the widow had only a single flask of olive oil to her name. Even so, Elisha instructed her, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors” (2 Kings 4:3). When she obeyed, one jar after another was filled with olive oil (2 Kings 4:5).

Elisha then told her to sell the oil, pay the debt, and live on the money that was left over (2 Kings 4:7). His counsel shows us that when abundance comes, we need to manage it carefully—paying off debt should be a priority. Living as a servant to a creditor can be frustrating and discouraging (Proverbs 22:7). But by changing spending habits, selling belongings, and obeying godly advice about our specific situation, we can make progress toward debt-free living.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Colossians 3:1-17