Keep Short Accounts

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Is this Scripture talking just about being in litigation? Probably not. The fact of the matter is the deeper you get into adversarial waters the harder it is to swim out. Settling an argument quickly has many rewards, not the least of which is a restored relationship. Waiting or continuing the argument simply deepens the rift between you and the adversary.

Obviously, if you owe money these verses have even more portent. The ramifications of unpaid debt are often severe and the cost can be in money and time.

Don’t delay taking care of matters that are between you and another person. Keep short accounts. Settle affairs. Be prompt. Don’t dally.