Have you ever filled out an application for a loan and seen a question that asks: Do you own or rent your home?

            We all know why the lender asks this question. Owning or renting a house doesn’t make you a better person, but it seems to make you a better risk ― at least as far as bankers are concerned.

            In some neighborhoods, you can go down a street and kind of tell who owns their houses, and who’s just paying the rent. Renters, while they may be neat and responsible, just don’t have as much at stake when it comes to the building they live in. If there’s a problem, many don’t seek to fix it themselves; they just call the landlord. Some renters are not required to maintain their property at all. Again, they just depend on the owner of the building. Some renters consider this their privilege, because, when all is said and done, they have nothing to show for the hundreds of dollars they shell out month after month.

            Homeowners, on the other hand, are completely responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of their properties. There’s no landlord to call if the lawn needs mowing, the washer is banging, or the roof needs to be replaced. However, at the end of certain length of time, (usually the duration of a mortgage!), homeowners have something to show for their efforts. So they are motivated to keep up their investments.

Renting to own

            Now, try to imagine filling out a survey that’s trying to determine your level of spiritual maturity. And you come across the question: “Do you rent or own your faith?”

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