Proverbs 6:4
"Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids"
This proverb is a word against the still common practice of being the guarantee for other’s debts. Strictly speaking, this section means it is incredibly foolish to co-sign for a loan for others. It is ridiculously foolish to put your own goods at risk based on the behavior of others.
If you find yourself in this case, then go to the person who owes the debt and plead with them to repay the debt. Do not let yourself treat this as though it were nothing.
If one cannot secure a loan on the strength of their own pledges and work, then they are clearly a bad credit risk. And we do not help them by allowing them to borrow past their ability to pay back. We actually cripple them.
The appropriate response to the person who wants us to co-sign a loan for them is to look at our resources and see if we can spare the money. If we can and it seems especially helpful, then we should give it to them, telling them it is not a loan but a gift and the only repayment they must make is to someone else in need in the future.
Notice the unrelenting focus of this proverb’s advice. Don't go to sleep; don't take a nap. In other words, do not procrastinate this problem. It will not go away. It is a serious problem. Your goods are at risk because of another's behavior. This is not good.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz