It seems as if everywhere you go, there are ample opportunities to apply for a credit card. When I was filling my vehicle’s gas tank recently, there was a box of credit card applications there promising that if approved, I could get 4 cents off per gallon. At $3.09 per gallon, it looked attractive. But as I thought about it, it is only a savings of 40 cents on 10 gallons. Less than a dollar everytime I fill up? Is it worth taking on more credit?
The Bible is very clear on debt. Romans 13:8 says, “Own no man any thing”(KJV). “Pay all your debts”(LB).”Let no debt remain outstanding.”(NIV) “Keep out of debt and owe no man anything.”(AMP)
Why? For one, it could deny God an opportunity. The following story is a powerful example of an opportunity that could have been missed.
“Financial author Ron Blue tells of a young man who wanted to go to seminary to become a missionary. The young man had no money and thought the only way he could afford seminary was to secure a student loan. However, this would have encumbered him with thousands of dollars of debt by the time he graduated. This would have been an impossible situation. He could not pay back his loan on a missionary’s salary.
After a great deal of prayer, he decided to enroll without the help of a student loan and to trust the Lord to meet his needs. He graduated without borrowing anything and grew in his appreciation for how the sovereign, living God could creatively provide for his needs. This was the most valuable lesson learned in seminary. It prepared him for the mission field where he repeatedly depended on the Lord to meet his needs. ”
Borrowing may deny God an opportunity to demonstrate His reality.