While our world places great value on our own dreams and aspirations, Christ's Kingdom has a different set of values.

The first distinct value is in Matthew 6, Verse 19; He tells us "not to store up treasures on earth where it's going to destroyed, but to store treasures up in heaven". So what Matthew 6 is telling us is to be generous to the things that are important to the kingdom of God, and to be generous to the things that are important to Jesus. God desires to work through ordinary people with ordinary finances, and God wants to do something of eternal value through your life. As Christians, our values and our priorities and our way-of-life should be different than the worlds. As God's people, we should be financially free - we should not be tied-up in financial bondage because that limits God's freedom to use us the way he wants to use us. Money is morally neutral - to use it can be for good or evil. The love of money is clearly evil but you can use money for good, and for good causes.

Financial freedom is not determined by how much money you make, it's really determined by your consumption. Proverbs 21 tells us that "foolish people spend their money as fast as they get it." In other words, they don't have an income problem, they have a consumption problem. There's an old axiom "If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep becomes your downfall". And without self-control our yearning capacity will always exceed our earning capacity. A truly wealthy person is a person who is content with what he or she has.

Here are four simple biblical principles of money management:

1) Spend less than you make. Proverbs 13:11 tells us that "dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow"

2) Avoid the use of debt. Proverbs 22:7 tells us "the rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender".

3) Have an emergency fund. Proverbs 6:6 tells us "consider the ant, you slugger, consider her ways and be wise which have no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest".

4) Set long-term goals.

Pray together with your spouse for God's guidance, look honestly at where you are, prioritize your needs and goals, prepare a workable plan and keep good records. Know how you're spending your money and where it's being spent. The 80-10-10 rule is one of the simplest rules:

1) Off-the-top, give 10%

2) Off-the-top, save 10% into a place where you don't retrieve it for short-term items, and then live off the rest after you've paid your taxes.

No matter how difficult the task of becoming debt-free may seem, the Lord is there to walk with you through it. In fact, He has already planned to do this as part of helping you in your ultimate purpose in life. Jesus said "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, my burden is light". Matthew 11, Verse 29:30.

For more ideas you can visit www.fsgwealth.com.