A Moment With Pastor Fred

I’ve heard several times the average family is over $15,000 in credit card debt. Financial counselor Dave Ramsey writes, “How you spend your money tells a story. It’s a   story about what is important to you, about what really matters in your life. It’s a story about where your heart is. Jesus said, ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ So it’s time to pull out your checkbook and ask a hard question, ‘where’s my heart?’” 

Christmas is coming and far too often people go into more debt to pay for gifts they can’t afford. Did you know 88% of credit card users do not pay items off each month? Now I’m not saying credit cards are wrong. Susan and I use them—we just keep track of how much we’ve spent. We always pay them off each month. By the way, another trade secret, automatic overdraft loans net banks around $30 billion a year! 

Establish a budget this Christmas. Be reasonable. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to prove your love. And by the way, don’t allow debt to keep you from giving to Christ’s church either. Chuck Swindoll has said one can tell more about one’s spirituality not by the verses underlined in the Bible but by reviewing one’s checkbook (or debit card).  Where is your treasure?