3 Warnings That You Shouldn’t Use Credit Cards

It may seem a bit difficult to discern whether or not to use credit cards as a Christian. Many people would say that God’s Word doesn’t tell us if we should or not. But there are plenty of pointers that help us make a wise decision about using a credit card ourselves or not. 

If you are ever struggling to decide whether you should use a credit card, you should buy a specific house, or even if you should take a job offer, you should take into consideration the motivations of your heart. Here are 3 motivations you must be wary about. 

• Pride – Do you want this credit card to make you feel better about yourself and hope that it will improve your self-image and reputation? For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? “If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”  (Galatians 1:10)
• Covetousness – Maybe you see others who use credit cards and earn tons of free travel because of their rewards. Are you motivated by their lifestyle and by the desire to replicate it for yourself? “Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’” (Luke 12:15)
• Entitlement – Having a credit card is simply what you use when you are an adult. You have earned the right to have one or two in your wallet. Have you told yourself that you deserve a credit card? “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

Using a credit card is taking out a short-term loan. Borrowing money can easily turn into a habit very quickly. This pulls us further away from trusting the Lord as our provider and instead we put our trust into the money that doesn’t belong to us in the first place. Credit cards are neither good nor bad. But just as a hammer is a morally neutral object, it too can be used to build or destroy something. 

Every money decision we make, down to the choice of using a credit card, is a reflection of whose righteousness we are practicing. Jesus warns us against this in the Sermon on the Mount. He knows that because of the pride we hold in our hearts that we desire to make ourselves look great, and not God. 

Your Friend in Christ, 
Katie Jones