Raise Your Spiritual Credit Score

Imagine your deeds, decisions, habits and potential—your whole way of life—being reduced to a three-digit number.

Fair or unfair, this is how creditors judge those seeking their approval. In the world of finance, your three-digit credit score could be the difference between being approved for a huge sum of money or not.

God’s Word uses a similar principle to motivate and inspire Christians.

In the Matthew 25 parable of the talents, Jesus Christ’s faithful servants stand before Him to be judged. He explained why some servants received approval: “You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (vs. 21). This judgment was based on what the servants did with the talents they were given. According to Strong’s, a talent is a sum of money. Other translations render the word “bags of silver” or “bags of gold.”

Their attention to “a few things”—a small amount of money—paid off in a big way.

Though the analogy is not perfect, comparing self-examination to a borrower’s creditworthiness does provide a fresh look at the exercise we are required to do every year prior to the Passover: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (I Cor. 11:28).

God openly says we must seek to be “approved” of Him (II Tim. 2:15). The Greek word for approved is dokimos. It means “to put to the test by trial in order to produce truth and genuineness.” The word is closely related to “examine” used in I Corinthians 11:28.

It is through “the righteous judgment of God, that [we] may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God” (II Thes. 1:5). This reveals that the only way into the Kingdom is through a judgment. Yet God is not the judge exclusively. He gives us the opportunity to judge ourselves (I Cor. 11:31).

This is not as easy as it may sound, especially in the face of Proverbs 16:2: “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes.”

The stewardship required to achieve and maintain a high financial credit score brings with it solid spiritual lessons.

Appreciate the Correlation

When people need to buy expensive items, such as a home or an automobile, they often do not have the funds to pay for them up front. In such cases, they rely on credit to borrow money and agree to repay it within a specified time frame. Creditors seize this opportunity by lending funds to such individuals with the promise of repayment, along with interest.

God similarly seeks a return on His investment in us, which He considers our “reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1).

Lending money is always a risk for the creditors, as they cannot be certain whether the borrowers will be able to repay them. To assess this risk, the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) developed a statistical method called the credit score to determine the probability of the borrowers repaying their debts as per the agreement. Your credit score is a measure of your dependability.

A credit score ranges from 300 points, which indicates a very high risk, to 850 points, which indicates a very low risk. The most responsible borrowers get the highest scores. People with higher credit scores get more favorable lending terms such as lower interest rates and higher credit limits. They are considered more trustworthy due to their demonstrated ability to handle their finances.

Your credit score provides a snapshot of your creditworthiness. Springtime self-examination also gives you a snapshot of where you are as a Christian at the current stage of your conversion.

Analyzing Spiritual Factors

Credit scores have been made available to consumers for quite some time now. However, it is often observed that people are hesitant to check them. Per credit.com, more than a quarter of Americans choose not to check their credit scores, as they believe it is not important.

For Christians, being indifferent about our spiritual standing is unacceptable. We must regularly examine ourselves.

The exact process credit reporting agencies use for calculating a credit score is not commonly known, but it generally depends on five key factors. These include the borrower’s credit payment history, current debts, length of credit history, types of credit used and frequency of new credit applications. Similarly, while Christians may not know the exact way God judges His people (Psa. 98:9), He has provided us with the primary criteria to follow.

A knowledgeable financial advisor would advise you that improving your credit score depends on understanding the five factors that determine it. Similarly, improving your spiritual credit rating could also focus on these five factors.

(1) Payment History: This is weighted the heaviest of the five factors. A key question for lenders is, If I lend this person money or credit, will he pay it back on time? If they have 10 credit accounts, are they late on five? Have they recently filed for bankruptcy or gone through a foreclosure?

Payment history bears a strong correlation to self-examination for a Christian. In judging yourself, ask: Have I done the things I committed to do at baptism? How have I handled my various responsibilities as a Christian?

When you were baptized into the Body of Christ, you determined to pray regularly and to study the Bible (I Thes. 5:17; II Tim. 2:15). Depending on circumstances, this may have been hard to do over the past 12 months. Nevertheless, we committed to never let either of them slip.

As you review your spiritual payment history over the last year, honestly ask yourself how you are doing.

Are you dutifully obeying the tithe command (including second and third tithe) and giving offerings (Mal. 3:8-10)? Are you occasionally fasting to draw close to God (Isa. 58:3-9)? Are you fully keeping the Sabbath day as instructed by God (Ex. 20:8-11; Heb. 4:9-11)? Are you holding fast, fully committed to serving God to the very end, no matter what?

(2) Current Debts/Available Credit: Lenders look at the total amount of debt people carry before approving applications. If all their available accounts are maxed out, they are less trustworthy. However, if a person is using credit responsibly—paying it off regularly—it looks positive.

The Passover represents Christ paying our debts in full (Eph. 1:7). Upon repentance, baptism and receiving God’s Spirit, our slates were wiped clean. When we inevitably sin following this, we can go to God with a repentant attitude and ask for forgiveness (II Cor. 7:10; II Pet. 3:9).

Over the past year, have you gone to God immediately to repent and ask for forgiveness following a transgression? Or have you allowed Satan, using shame or pride, to burden you, preventing you from going to your Father in heaven, who is ready to forgive you (Psa. 86:5)?

How well have you treated others? Are you quick to forgive the way God is, or have you “maxed out” your credit with Him (Matt. 6:14-15) by holding grudges against those who may have offended or wronged you?

(3) Length of Credit History: The amount of time a person has had active credit accounts, known as credit history, is another critical factor. Creditors like to see a long history of responsibly paying off debts.

When you were called, God saw you for the person you were at that time and the person you can ultimately become with His guidance. We usually have trouble seeing both, especially early on.

The longer we are in the Church, the more God gradually allows us to see our flaws. This causes us to abhor ourselves (Job 42:6) and prompts us to change. If God showed us ourselves too early and all at once, we would become discouraged and likely give up.

Every Passover presents us with the opportunity to see a little more of our human nature. Those who have been in God’s Way longer should be able to handle more than the newly baptized.

Ask yourself: Am I showing the proper amount of fruits based on my time in God’s Way? If you have been in the truth for decades, you should be much more equipped to handle the trials typical of a babe in Christ (Heb. 5:11-14). If you are new to God’s Church, He does not expect you to perform like a seasoned veteran. He knows growth takes time.

Thus, when assessing your spiritual credit history, have a balanced view. Do not be too hard on yourself, but at the same time, do not let yourself off the hook.

(4) Credit Mix: The fourth factor creditors look at is the different types of credit accounts an applicant has. It could be revolving debts such as credit cards or fixed debts such as a mortgage or auto loans. Managing each requires related but different approaches. Seeing how a borrower handles multiple accounts with different terms and payments is helpful.

Honestly assess how you have managed your life over the last year. How have you handled the various responsibilities put before you? Is your conduct during the week a proper reflection of your commitment as a Christian (Matt. 5:16)? Are you doing the things required as a spouse or parent? Are you drinking too much alcohol, viewing pornography or engaging in filthy communication (Col. 3:8)? Do you easily lose your temper? Are you praying for the success of the Work? Are you consistently serving others, or do you sit back and watch others take the brunt of the responsibility?

(5) New Credit: The final factor is how often a person applies for credit. Constantly trying to open accounts or opening a bunch of new accounts simultaneously has a detrimental impact. Also, a score can be lowered if many lenders make “hard” inquiries on a report, meaning they are checking scores.

Over the last year, have you put yourself in situations that exploit your weaknesses? If you have a problem with gossiping, have you been engaging in the kinds of conversations that make it difficult to avoid it? If you struggle with being argumentative, are you provoking others to debate? If you were big into celebrating worldly holidays prior to your conversion, are you getting too close for comfort with your old practices with family and friends?

Paul said, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). We must fight to put away the old man.

By engaging in old habits, you open yourself up to be accused by Satan. He stands ready to put a “hit” on your spiritual credit report. To avoid this, follow Romans 12:21: “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Note the places where you repeatedly battle the same problems. These are weak spots you must focus on and overcome. Yes, you will face trials and tests. When you do, however, remember that Christ told us to be happy. Why? Because He overcame the world (John 16:33).

Also take note: Checking your own credit history and credit score is known as a “soft” inquiry and does not affect your credit score. What better parallel to encourage you to self-examine on a regular basis? It only gives you the chance to improve.

Raising Your Score

One of the great benefits of self-examination is the chance to identify areas in our lives where we may have fallen short over the past year. By recognizing our strengths and weaknesses, we can create a plan to improve ourselves and strive for better results. With dedication and effort, we can execute our plan within the remaining time and be accounted worthy by God.

The parables of the talents and the pounds strike a similar tone (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27). They both illustrate servants being given something of value and the opportunity to increase it. Some take full advantage, while others squander their chance. Study these accounts. Allow them to crystallize in your mind and drive you to action.

If you feel you have fallen into a bad credit situation after reviewing the past year, do not give up hope. It does not mean that you have to live with poor spiritual credit for the rest of your life. When you repent, God completely frees you from the sins that burden you with spiritual debt (I Pet. 5:7). This is far better than trying to dig yourself out of debt alone. And after God takes care of any credit issues you may have, do your part to help build and maintain it.

To improve your spiritual credit score, you should approach it similarly to how you would raise your financial credit score. Just like you would pay your bills on time to increase your real credit score, you should always keep your promises. If you commit to do something, whether to God or people, ensure that you follow through with it (Jms. 5:12).

To keep your actual credit score high, make sure to never miss a payment and reach out to your lender if you need assistance. Similarly, if you require help from God or the ministry, do not ignore your problems. Seek the help that you need.

Developing a plan to address your areas of improvement is an excellent way to start. Try to listen more closely to sermons and go the extra mile with Bible study. Actively ask yourself about areas in which you can improve. While it is important to be a good steward of your physical responsibilities, it is even more important to be a good steward of the things that affect your eternal life.

As Passover approaches, take steps to analyze and improve your spiritual well-being. With God’s help, you can raise your spiritual credit score to an excellent rating.