COLUMN: How great a debt we owe

Our country’s National Debt now exceeds $37 trillion, according to recent news reports and theUSDebtClock.org.

Like me, maybe it’s difficult for you to crunch numbers and grasp just how much debt we owe.  So I decided to research various news sources.  Here’s what I found.

First, by comparison, in 1980 the federal debt was $1 trillion.  By 1990, it rose to $3.2 trillion, in 2000 it was $5.6 trillion and by 2005 our debt had nearly reached $8 trillion. Our government’s debt increased to $13.5 trillion in 2010, jumped to $16.7 trillion in 2013, and rose to $18 trillion in 2015. By 2020, our federal debt reached $27 trillion.  This history comes from www.justfacts.com/nationaldebt.

Next, I looked for information to get a perspective on $37 trillion.  Our National Debt of $37 trillion is enough to cover a four-year degree for each graduating student in U.S. high schools for 106 years, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation states.  Picture $37 trillion this way. Thirty-seven trillion dollars in $100 bills would weigh over 770,000 tons. This is roughly the weight of more than 200,000 cars.

Dividing the National Debt between every citizen the U.S. — man, woman, and child — each would owe $106,024.  Divided by every taxpayer, it is estimated at over $200,000. These numbers explain why economists and commentators describe our country’s debt as a national crisis and tell us we need to get our fiscal house in order.  And, it’s not just our government’s problem.  Consider this statistic from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Consumer debt held by Americans tops $18.04 trillion.

Every man, woman, boy and girl in America and on this planet is born owing a debt not one of us can ever pay. Every person comes into this world with a sinful nature because the first man and woman couldn’t obey one commandment, much less ten. The Bible tells us, “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). Our sin-debt separates us from a Holy God.

But God showed how much He loved us, because while we were still sinners Christ (His Son) died for us. It’s difficult to grasp a love so great that it paid in full all the sin-debt of mankind. Each one of us must decide whether to accept His forgiveness for our sins and receive Christ as our personal Savior.

There’s a song of praise that describes what Christ did for us.  “You came from heaven to earth to show the way. From the earth to the cross, my debt to pay, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky, Lord, I lift Your name on high.”  “He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay,” another worship chorus says.

One hymn writer expressed it this way, “But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe: Here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘Tis all that I can do!”

If you do not know Christ as your personal Savior, this Easter season would be a wonderful time to ask His forgiveness for your sin.

— Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in

her book, “Everyday Faith

for Daily Life.”