Debt can really crush you if you let it. You spend four years going to college and learning about a career only to graduate and immediately come out with several thousands of dollars of debt. You take an entry level position that doesn't pay much and it seems as if at least a quarter of your monthly income goes to Sallie Mae, if not more.

And then it only gets worse. After paying debt, rent, and general living expenses, there’s not much left to put away, and then life happens. You have to buy a car or something big breaks and you have to replace it and you don't have the money to pay up front for it, so you have to get a credit card or take out a small personal loan.

Debt can pile up quickly, and each time that debt gets a little bit bigger and a little bit bigger, it seems like the weight on your shoulders gets a little bit heavier and a little bit heavier.

Imagine having something like one or two hundred thousand dollars worth of debt. Some people probably don’t have to imagine that. That is reality for a lot of people. Now, imagine if one day somebody just came along and gave you a document to sign. That document would transfer all of your debt over to them. You’d have nothing left to pay, and this person would take on all that payment. The only caveat is that you have to be friends.

Sounds good, huh?

Think about how freeing that is. Think about the potential thousands of dollars a month that you're putting into paying your debt back, and all of a sudden you have that available to you. Life becomes a lot more free at that point. You can invest that money and save up for later down the road. You can take those trips that you always wanted to take but never were able to. You can replace those broken items you were never able to afford to replace. You can give back to others who are in need. The possibilities are almost endless. You are free. No longer shackled. No longer weighed down. All because that debt that you once had is not crushing you anymore. The weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

It's such a freeing thought, and if you've ever experienced that feeling of making that final payment on a loan, even if it's just one student loan, you probably understand how free that feeling is.

That is basically what Jesus did when he died on the cross. When sin entered the world, the payment for that was death, which is the heaviest of debts. For a long time, the world lived under the crushing weight of that debt, paying with every life.

But no longer. We are free to live now because Jesus took on that debt, and died to pay it for us. It's hard to put into words how incredible that is, but it’s a freeing thought that lifts so much weight off of me. I can live without worrying about what will happen to me.