Deflection speech pervades society. If you don't practice it, you know someone who does: "I don't have time!" and "I am busy!" are popular clichés folks use to shift responsibility for neglected tasks. I think for two reasons we accept and validate these absurd excuses. First, unwittingly, we ignore two facts: (a) Each person has 24 hours daily, (b) busy means "occupied with the mind concentrated," and is normal--you are dead when you are not busy! Second, political correctness stymies us: fearing being accused of prejudice or intolerance, often, we don’t require accountability; so, we entrench shoddy performances.

To me, the most troubling deflection is, I need to 'repair' my credit rating! Did it elope with the milkman and squander it’s inheritance?  Did it become bad overnight? Or, did you choose poorly?

To embed deflection speech, folks embrace its twin, victim mentality: after bad choices, they deflect, and then blame. Today's favorite blame recipients are financial institutions. Certainly, many are conniving, dishonest, manipulative, unscrupulous; but when folks borrow, they know whether they might be able to repay. Sure, many financial institutions won’t disclose all, but borrowers know when they take on risks; yet they borrow expecting circumstances to be favorable. Conditions turn sour, and oops; the bank or other financial institution made them do it! Go figure!

We fix problems in the RAW only: recognize, accept, and work on them--dealing with symptoms won’t help. Today, our debt-riddled society is in victim mode. We must stop blaming everyone but us, and understand we have attitude issues, only we can fix. Led by Governments, folks want to strangle financial institutions. People don’t focus on needed attitude and behavior changes, rather, they deflect to someone or something: they try to repair the unfixable credit score, instead of leaning on Jesus as they look at their circumstances, learn from them, and with His help, adjust attitudes and behaviors appropriately.

Changing specific behaviors will affect credit scores over time. If in debt, be patient! Likely, you drifted deep in debt gradually; by God’s grace, you will move out slowly. Becoming debt-free is a journey you can start today, but you must own the process. It needs to be part of a Christian financial plan--a plan routed in  a solid relationship with our Messiah Jesus. To hop on the recovery trail, ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable for one month, for three steps:

First, do a spending fast: spend for stuff ethically, legally, morally, and life sustaining only. Sorry; no eating out!

Second, record all spending to learn spending drivers: why, when, how--process followed before spending.

Third, use a credit card only if funds are in the bank: don’t raise your debt! If you are not there, imagine you are at your debt limit. What will you do then?

At month’s end, treat yourself; but without extra debt. Note challenges; select one, and then prepare a goal and a plan to work on next month. 

For more on doing a spending fast and becoming debt-free, read chapters four and five of  The New Managing God’s Money-The Basics and visit Managing God's Money.

ⓒ 2010 Michel A. Bell.