Articles
The Problem with Using Credit
The Problem with Using Credit
The problem with using credit to our advantage is fivefold: 1) It allows us to own things we didn’t earn. 2) It causes us to feel superior to those who don’t have it. 3) It’s hard to be giving when we’re only interested in getting. 4) Once we start, it’s hard to stop. 5) The more credit we use, the more the spotlight is on us, not God — wait, weren’t we talking about finances? Actually, no. Certainly, Proverbs 22:7 says “The rich rules over the poor and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave” and I don’t recommend using credit to buy stuff, but that’s not what this article is about. This is about taking credit for good deeds and using that credit to build ourselves up.
Proverbs 27:2 reads, “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:1). When we take credit for good deeds, we get praise we don’t deserve (cf. Luke 17:10). When we take credit for good deeds, we feel superior to others. When we take credit for good deeds, it’s hard to give credit to others. When we take credit, it’s hard to stop and the more we use credit to our advantage, the more the spotlight is on us rather than God. It’s tempting, but don’t give in.
