For years companies have been promoting themselves as christian credit counselors or offering christian debt consolidation loans or christian debt consolidation help.

I have found the help offered to be hypocritical and the use of christian debt counseling to be more of a sales tool rather than a fundamental change in the way these services are delivered.

Paying Attention to Christian Values When Getting Out of Debt

Paying attention to christian values when getting out of debt is a good thing. Returning to your roots and beliefs can give you a solid foundation on which to build your new financial life. And focusing on putting those things that you feel create a cornerstone of your life first, is emotionally rewarding.

But where the trouble lies is when those that are providing you with get out of debt services that are advertised as being Christian, fail to be honest with you about the realities of those plans.

For example, christian credit counselors often fail to be clear that they are compensated by the creditors based on how much money they collect from you. This is a crucial fact that should be completely out in the open for you to understand how the trust you place in a christian debt counselor may be tainted by their allegiance to the credit card company.

What does the bible say about serving two masters?

The True Christian Approach to Get Out of Debt

The true christian approach to get out of debt would place your trust in God through prayer and belief first, your duties and obligations second, and to then deal with what is left in a pragmatic way based on faith.

This means that in getting out of debt all you can do is all you can do. If you believe in tithing then your tithe should come of your income first, next you should treat the rest of your creditors fairly and equally and divide up the remaining money on a fair basis based on the percentage of debt.

Speaking of tithing. Ask your christian credit counselor how much of their income and the income of the christian debt counseling company they provide on a monthly basis.

Following this approach their will be consequences, you may not be able to afford your full mortgage or rent payment and find yourself out on the street, you may lose your car, your credit report will suffer and you will get bad credit. But is it better to serve your creditors fairly and equally or to place one ahead of another for your own gain or benefit?

Is a promise and obligation to repay a credit card company more or less important than paying your full mortgage payment? If you said that treating the credit card company differently and placing them second was the christian thing to do, where in the bible does it state that promises come in different levels or intensities?

If you are strong in faith then through prayer and belief won’t God provide for you and isn’t doing the right thing more important?

Christian Debt Solution and Consolidation Loan Issues

The concept of a christian debt consolidation loan seem a bit foreign to me. And I do have a problem with those that promote christian debt consolidation loans since I don’t feel they are completely open and honest about providing you with complete information on how they are compensated for those loans.

In making money by generating the debt consolidation loan it is very easy to put the desire for income ahead of the appropriateness of the loan. This can create a conflict in the christian approach of doing no harm to those you serve.

Those that provide access to debt consolidation loans are paid by the lender for generating the loan. This is a material fact for you, as the consumer, to be aware of, but it is poorly disclosed by those that profess to be providing christian debt relief through christian debt consolidation loans.

Christian Credit Debt Counseling

Many churches offer a self-guided or community supported approach to get out of debt. These programs appear to be rooted in christian beliefs first rather than a commercial process hidden under a christian mask. This seems like the purest approach you can take, rather than looking for a christian way out of debt through a charity or commercial company hyping that they deliver christian debt consolidation or christian debt relief services.