Question: We’re a young married couple. We periodically get unsolicited credit cards in the mail. I would like to have and use some, but my husband thinks that they’re evil and that a Christian should never use them. I find it hard even to cash a check without a credit card and almost impossible to rent a car. Is it wrong to have credit cards? Response: Credit cards are not evil, and credit cards are not “the” problem! The problem is the misuse of credit cards. For example, many children see their parents use credit cards to buy clothes, gas, food, and even toys. But very few parents bring their children in when they write the checks and say, “Kids, remember when we charged all that stuff? Now we have to pay for it.” I find that while credit cards are not essential, they can be a great convenience. Let me share with you some guidelines that will help you to properly manage your cards. As a husband and wife, together, you should make some very simple vows: (1) Never use your credit cards to buy anything that is not in your budget for the month. So first, you should have a budget. (2) Pay your credit cards of every month with no exceptions. (3) The first month you’re not able to pay off your cards completely, quit using them until they are paid off in full. The second month you’re not able to pay off your cards in full, destroy them. If you follow these rules you’ll never have a problem with credit cards. (Thank you Larry Burkett!)