“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Practically every day when I go out to my mailbox, I find offers to get a credit card. But there’s one word those credit card advertisements never use: “debt.” Instead, they say things like, “easy payments.” Friends, there’s no such thing as an easy payment.

The truth is, there are dangers to debt—and living on credit could be ensnaring you.

If you’re depending on credit to maintain your lifestyle, you’re living beyond your means. The Living Bible paraphrase says, “Don’t withhold repayment of your debts. Don’t say ‘some other time,’ if you can pay now” (Proverbs 3:27-28).

How do you know if you’re living above your means? Here’s an easy way to tell: If you’re not paying your credit card off every month, chances are you’re relying on credit to cover expenses—which can lead to three problems: 

Living in debt can reveal a lack of contentment. When someone’s always using credit to support a lifestyle above their means, it’s usually a sign they haven’t learned how to wait for what they want. It’s like they’re saying, “I’ve got to have it now! I can’t wait!” And that shows immaturity. But when you’re mature, you have the ability to delay gratification. You can put off something until you can afford it. 

Many of the problems in our culture today come from the inability to wait. And it’s not just a struggle with financial gratification. People are often unable to delay sexual gratification, emotional gratification, and more. We want it all, and we want it now.

But the Bible offers a different way of living: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

Relying on credit presumes upon the future. When someone puts something on credit, they’re presuming that they’ll have the means to pay it off when the bill comes due.

But God’s Word says, “Don’t brag about tomorrow; you don’t know what may happen then” (Proverbs 27:1 NCV). Only God knows the future. You can’t assume that tomorrow you’ll be able to pay for what you can’t afford today.

Spending on credit ends up costing more in the long run. Study after study shows that when we go into a store intending to buy on credit, we will spend more than if we were paying cash.

It can be fun to spend money; when you’re feeling down, it might even temporarily raise your spirits. But when you spend money you don’t have, that good feeling won’t last. Before you know it, those bills will come due and you’ll feel low again, but with the added burden of debt.

God didn’t plan for you to live weighed down by debt—his plan is so much better. He wants you to live in freedom and security, unburdened by debt and relying on him to meet all your needs.