7 Cringe-Worthy Habits That Keep Christians Stuck In Debt & How To Find Freedom!
Last Updated on 10/19/2024 by Nicky
7 Habits That Keep Christians Stuck in Debt (And How to Break Free with God’s Help)
Credits cards.
Student loans.
Mortgages.
Some of us could be drowning in debt and guess what?
We might still decide to finance that vacation we’re going on in July.
That’s because as a society we have this philosophy that credit is free money or this “get it now pay for it later” mindset.
If we want to live debt-free as Christians, we cannot continue this way.
We are called to be good stewards of the money God has entrusted to us.
For so long, I wasn’t a good steward of His money.
I did some silly things with money that got me in major debt and I now regret them but these silly things were also good learning experiences.
I’ve learned that sometimes knowing what you shouldn’t do isn’t a strong enough catalyst to get us to change.
Sometimes, we don’t even realize which financial habits keep us enslaved.
Looking at debt from this angle might help open our eyes.
This post is not to be taken as real advice.
Clearly, I don’t want you to stay in debt.
This post is a tongue-in-cheek, playful way to look at our habits in a different light.
The purpose of this post is to lovingly and humorously show some of the behaviors that will ensure that we never get free from the burden of debt.
Some of these “suggestions” are things I did for years so I speak from experience.
We can be so blinded by our habits that sometimes we have to be shaken up to see what is sabotaging our efforts.
With that out of the way, let’s look at the…7 habits that keep Christians from being debt-free.
Oh yeah, and this post contains affiliate links to great products that will help you in your health journey. I will get a commission if you decide to buy from these links but I’m only recommending products that I feel confident about.
7 Cringe-Worthy Habits That Keep Christians From Living Debt-Free
1. Staying In Denial About Your Debt
One of the best ways to make sure you never get out of debt is to never actually calculate how much debt you have.
This was one of my favorite methods for staying in debt.
Yes, I may have known how much I owed on my Discover card or American Express card but writing down the balances of all of my cards and my student loans and personal loans and then adding them up?
I didn’t have time for that.
Sticking my head in the sand was more comfortable.
If you want to stay in debt then denial is definitely the way to go.
That way you never have to see how much you owe and you can stay in debt indefinitely.
However, if you ever did add up all of your debt, then you will have to go through the pain of seeing that number in black and white.
For me, that moment when I added all of my liabilities was completely disheartening but if I had never done it and seen the cold hard truth, I would still be in debt today.
Seeing how much I truly owed was the catalyst to start taking debt seriously.
After I saw the number it spurred me to action and now I actually have a positive net worth, praise God.
2. Not Calculating Your Net Worth
Calculating your net worth goes deeper than just adding up all of your debt.
To see what your net worth is, you need to calculate your assets and subtract the amount of debt you have from your total assets (I’ll explain this more in another post).
This is obviously way too much work.
Instead, to ensure you stay in debt, please don’t ever calculate your net worth. If you ever do, you might be shocked by how little money you actually have.
This, in turn, might cause you to actually change your financial habits and start paying down your debt.
Do so at your own risk.
Related: Calculating your net worth
3. Borrowing Money From Places With Names Like Easy Cash
Getting money from places that have cash or finance in its name, is a great way to stay in debt, especially if words like easy, fast, or quick precede it.
Most of the time, when you can get cash quick, fast, and in a hurry and you’ve done absolutely no work to get it, you’re sure to continue that downward spiral into financial ruin.
The high-interest rates that you pay on the money you borrow are just a bonus.
The interest ensures that you will never get out of the hole you’re in.
4. Not Asking Anyone For Help
Another good way to stay in debt is to never ask anyone with financial wisdom for help.
If you ask someone who is good with money and has a financial education, they may give you good advice.
If you happen to follow their advice, it might put you on the road to recovery which is a bad idea for those wanting to remain in debt.
The public library is especially dangerous as it is filled with books that teach you how to manage and earn money.
Enter them at your own risk.
If you must speak to someone about your money woes, only seek out naysaying, chicken little types who have little to no financial knowledge to speak of. (tips for staying in debt) Click To Tweet
They are sure to discourage you from taking any action whatsoever.
Plus, there are companies that are out there designed to help you pay off your credit card debt (like the company Payoff).
Payoff claims that if you use their service, you may “…pay less interest, get out of debt sooner and build your savings faster.”
Clearly this is not what you want to do if you want to stay in debt.
Click to learn more about Payoff (but I’m warning you, you might get out of debt faster)
5. Carrying Your Credit Cards With You Everywhere…In Case Of “Emergency”
Credit cards are an important tool in your debt arsenal.
It’s difficult to stay in debt without them.
That’s why you should always have them with you, in case of an emergency.
Emergencies Include:
- Furniture and appliance sales that end 3 days before payday and you don’t have any cash on hand
- Needing to pay for a cruise all of your friends are going on but you can’t really afford so you have to charge it (yep, done that one)
- You’re super hungry and you don’t have time to cook so you order takeout (but you’re only using the card for the points)
Remember no “emergency” is too small.
6. Not Making A Budget
Budgets are time-consuming and suck the fun out of life.
It’s best not to track where your money goes so you have no idea how much you’re spending.
If, for some reason, you did decide to create a budget, make sure it’s in name only.
Once you’ve created your symbolic budget, set it to the side, and don’t look at or consult it to see how much you should spend.
Doing so is too much of a hassle.
7. Not Praying About Your Financial Situation
This is, by far, the most effective way to stay in debt.
If you pray to the Lord about your spending habits and what your next steps should be, He just might tell you.
If God gives you His wisdom and you actually listen to it, debt will be a thing of the past.
God tells us in Proverbs 22:7 that “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender”. Just saying.
It’s clear then from this verse God is not too keen on debt and will most likely advise you to get out of it as soon as you can.
– You Can Change Your Bad Financial Habits
Now, like I said all of these “suggestions” are the opposite of what I really want you to do.
I actually do want you to make a budget.
I actually do want you to use your credit card sparingly or (use your credit cards strategically).
I actually do want you to pray to the Lord and ask for His wisdom so you can be freed of the burden of debt.
And I know that you can do it. If my stubborn behind can do it, so can you.
– Conclusion On How To NOT Live Debt Free As Christians
So don’t be okay with being a slave to the lender.
Become a good steward of the money He has entrusted to you.
Sometimes, looking at our situation in a new way is all it takes to motivate us to change.
I pray that this post will ignite your need to get out of debt now rather than later.
If there is a way that I can help or advise you in regards to getting out of debt, please let me know in the comments below.
And if this post added value to your life, please do me a favor and share it on your Pinterest boards and Facebook page.
Thank you!
Toodles,
Can You Please Do Me A Favor?
P.S. If you found this post helpful, please share the pin below on Pinterest and Facebook pretty please!
To save on Pinterest, just click the red Pinterest save button that appears when you hover over an image. Please save it to a How to get out of debt or Debt Payoff board.
Thank you much!
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More Debt Free Living & Money HAYC Posts
5 Secrets To Improving Your Credit Score So You Can Always Get Approved
7 Cringe-Worthy Habits That Keep Christians From Being Debt Free
3 Credit Card Debt Tips That Put You On The Road To Financial Freedom!
