SPIRITUAL ACCEPTANCE: A man or woman who does not accept his or her position of being a child of the King, or rejects the ways of God, will suffer with overwhelming feelings of inferiority or self-rejection. The negative results of not accepting our position in Christ will often, if not always, manifest itself in self-indulgent spending, or attempting to buy things in order to make ourselves feel better about our "self-image." This is the most common form of spending. This can show its ugly head through the purchases of boats, cars, clothes, houses, or by merely "bargain buying." Knowing who we are in Christ, our identity, is critical in being a godly steward of the King's resources.

EMBRACING AUTHORITY: It is impossible for a man to steward God's resources, if he does not place himself under God's authority. This is practically done through submitting ourselves to a mentor whom God has entrusted to oversee our life, as well as, to the written Word, itself. This is why He gives us spiritual fathers/leaders. People make independent decisions with their finances because they ARE independent. Most of the people in our post-modern world are not quick to place themselves under God given authority. Authority has become a "nasty" word in our society. Followers tend to only submit themselves to "authority figures" that have proven themselves to be wise. This is not the original mandate given to us by God. Authority is authority. If the authority asks us to do something immoral, ungodly, or illegal, we are to say NO to that particular request. If the authority is asking us to do things that are within the boundaries of the Word of God, we are to wholeheartedly say, "YES" and go do it quickly. This is a practice lost within the pages of biblical living. The only way to break a man of independence is ...read more here