Someone Else’s Responsibility

There have been a number of (deleted) comments left here about ‘debt consolidation’ and ‘credit counseling’*.

If ‘debt consolidation’ means ‘a loan’, then there are serious consequences. First, we have already discussed that God never directs us to sin. While these loans ‘appear’ very appealing, all they really are is a way to double one’s debt. Consider; if one gets the loan, and transfers the balances to the loan and does not immediately close the ‘zero’ balances accounts, one is ‘asking’ for trouble. One can immediately ‘charge’ to those zero balance accounts, putting one in twice as much debt. Without learning ‘good stewardship’ (which would generally counsel against a consolidation loan) all one does is ‘become’ slave to a new slaver. It is recommended that this method be dismissed - it is trading sin for sin, therefore has consequences.

If ‘debt consolidation’ and ‘credit counseling’ means going to an ‘agency’ to help consolidate bills, reduce interest rates, and pay off debt, that is another matter. (I) consider this method as the second worst alternative to getting out of debt (bankruptcy being the first).

Why?
“Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14. (Some translations use ‘wisdom’ in place of safety.)
Consider Romans 14:12, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
We must each give an account of ‘ourselves’ to God. In the ‘Parable of the Talents’ (Matthew 25:14-30) each of the stewards were held accountable for their own actions. When one turns their debt over to a ‘credit counseling service’, one is abrogating their own responsibility. If the ‘slavery’ of envy debt (keeping up with the Jones’s) is the number one goal in America, shifting responsibility (I am not to blame) is the number one ‘pastime’.

-- Credit Counseling is another form of slavery. They tell one to send them one’s money. Then ‘they’ decide which slaver is paid, how much, in what order and when. One is still accountable for their actions, without having any say (their actions show up on one’s credit report, not their credit report). (Sounds like slavery.)

-- Credit Counseling services ‘say’ they do not ‘charge’ for their services… Check the fine print. Most do not charge a fee for ‘their service’; however, they do charge a percentage or an administration costs fee to conduct business on one's behalf. (Sounds like adding a new slaver.)

-- Credit Counseling services that do not charge any fees must stay in business somehow. Carefully checking their records, one will find that many of these ‘agencies’ are owned by credit companies. Many of these services are owned by slavers! They want their money! They also want ‘control’ of YOUR money!

By engaging a Credit Counselor, what does one learn about stewardship? What does one learn about responsibility? What does one learn about accountability? One learns nothing.

The reality is, once the ‘service’ pays off one’s debts, one will fall right back into the same ‘old’ sin. With one exception, having used a service, just like in a bankruptcy, ones gets offers from slavers that are ‘usurious’. Slavers can charge outrageously high interest because now one is a ‘credit risk’.


God remains (was, is, and always be) faithful. No matter how dire one’s circumstances seem, there is no challenge ‘bigger’ than God. It means putting ALL of one’s life into His hands. It means deciding to be obedient to Him (not obedient to a ‘Credit Counselor’).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Let God be one’s ‘Credit Counselor’!


* There are Credit Counseling services that call themselves “Christian”. They are supposedly for, by and with Christians. Having investigated a number of these ‘agencies’, they are no different than any other agencies. The do not teach responsibility. They do not teach accountability. The do not teach good stewardship. They control one’s money, period.