Should A Christian Use Credit Cards?

It seems similar every solar daytime you acquire a novel credit menu application inwards the postal service.

One promises 10% cash dorsum on Amazon purchases. Another promises free airline miles. And yet another offers you rewards from your favorite department store every 4th dimension you lot brand a buy.

You begin thinking — if you make every purchase on a cash back credit card, you could earn a lot of cash dorsum. It would endure variety of similar using a coupon for every purchase.

That’s proficient stewardship, right?

But you’ve also may have heard that Christians shouldn’t use credit cards.

Confused? Let’s laid the tape direct.

Should a Christian Use Credit Cards?

To be clear, the Bible doesn’t evidently enjoin Christians should or should non role credit cards. Obviously, credit cards did not exist inwards Biblical times.

However, the Bible does receive a lot to tell virtually debt, stewardship, every bit well greed. And the Biblical principles unopen debt, stewardship, also greed tin draw out suffer helpful inward deciding whether or non it’s wise to purpose credit cards.

What the Bible Says About Debt

Let’s laid out with debt. Does the Bible guild it’s incorrect to become inward debt?

Not just. The Bible does have got some potent words close debt, though.

First, the Bible is clear that if yous borrow, yous must repay. Psalm 37:21 (ESV) says, “The wicked borrows but does non pay back, but the righteous is generous besides gives.”

Second, the Bible points out a downside to borrowing. Proverbs 22:seven (ESV) says, “The rich rules over the hapless, every bit good equally the borrower is a slave to the lender.”

Whenever we borrow money, whether via a credit card or some other means, we have certain obligations to the lender. We must repay what nosotros borrow.

What that way is if we owe money, paying that money dorsum must buy the farm a priority. If some other great fiscal gamble comes along patch you are inward debt, y'all may have got to plough that chance downward if you owe money on your credit carte du jour.

Credit carte debt can affect your ability to qualify for a home loan, to pay for a opor-garai, or l-fifty out to lead fourth dimension off piece of work to transcend along a curt term mission trip.

When you lot carry credit card debt, you genuinely are a slave to the credit card companionship.

Finally, the Bible is clear that it’s never a skillful catch to banking line concern on an unknown fourth dimension to come upwardly. James 4:xiii-fifteen (ESV) points out,

Come right away, yous who enjoin, “Today or tomorrow nosotros will snuff it into such equally well every bit such a town inward addition to pass a twelvemonth in that location in addition to trade together with do a profits” — notwithstanding yous do non know what tomorrow volition select. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a fiddling 4th dimension in addition to likewise so vanishes. Instead you lot ought to tell, “If the Lord wills, we testament last inwards addition to do this or that.”

Nobody knows what the future brings. It is a bad idea to purchase something on a credit card, thinking yous flaming pay it back when you get your big bonus next month. What if that bonus doesn’t come? What if you lot lose your line?

Don’t finance an uncertain hereafter.

What the Bible Says About Stewardship besides Greed

The Bible has a lot to enjoin virtually beingness a proficient steward of what we maintain been given, whether that’s money, health, or whatever other approving.

A look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:xiv-xxx provides a goodness illustration. The human who was given v talents as well as invested wisely to double his money was praised past his original. The human who buried his ane talent inwards the sand together with didn’t fifty-l seat it in the banking concern to earn involvement was chastised.

When God gives us anything – coin, talents, a goodness chore — we are to role it to the best of our might. A lawsuit could live made, too then that using a cash dorsum credit carte is a practiced role of money.

But that’s non all the Bible has to say nearly money.

Hebrews xiii:5 (ESV) warns against greed when it says, “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you receive, for he has said, ’I will never leave of absence of absence yous nor forsake yous.’”

And 1 Timothy six:10 (ESV) says, “For the love of money is a beginning of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some direct keep got wandered away from the organized faith together with pierced themselves with many pangs.”

We are to live content with what God has given us, 50-50 when we don’t have got got every bit much every flake our neighbor. Even more important than that, our purpose of money should reflect our dearest for God. Using credit cards to pay for something outside of your budget because yous are discontent or greedy, therefore, would suffer wrong.

So What is the Verdict? Should Christians Use Credit Cards?

As a Christian looking at all the Bible has to say nigh debt, greed, stewardship, too contentment, I would guild it is OK for Christians to purpose credit cards.

But just because it’s OK to use credit cards doesn’t mean it’s always wise. Influenza A virus subtype A credit carte is just a tool to assist care your coin, equally good every bit similar whatever tool, it tin live used wisely or unwisely.

If you’re going to role credit cards, build sure enough enough you lot pay off the ease each in add-on to every month.

If you can’t pay your balance, you are banking on an uncertain tomorrow, contrary to what James 4:xiii-xv says.

One way to make sure you can pay your balance each month is to rails your credit card spending inwards your budgeting app or checkbook register.

By treating credit card purchases every flake money already spent, rather than a tranquillity to alive on paid inwards the hereafter, you tin sack earn your cash dorsum rewards patch beingness certain you tin pay the nib at the finish of the calendar month.

If you don’t conduct maintain got the theme say to pay off your carte du jour every month, it’s not worth using credit cards. Again, the borrower is slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). No amount of cash dorsum or other rewards is worth existence a slave to someone else.

Finally, live for certain plenty you lot are not using credit cards to fill upwardly a demand that entirely God tin create total. Don’t endeavor to agree upwards amongst the neighbors or seat your trust inward your credit carte du jour’s powerfulness to pay your bills.

Honor God amongst your coin. If you lot’re doing that, you’ll live but fine, whether yous decide to role credit cards or not.

Are you interested in more Biblical Perspective on your finances?  Check out our new 6-week Bible study, God Money!

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