Managing our money is part of God's plan. Over 2000 scripture verses refer to money. It is also why the enemy will try and trick us in every way to gain hold of this area of our lives.

Three things that lead to mismanagement of our money are:

1. Ignorance - we perish for a lack of knowledge.

People who are being ignorant tell themselves:

• Surely no one can fault me for wanting a few things
  
• I will get a raise or something just around the corner to cover this
  
• Logically this seems like a good deal the salesman really liked me

Everyone has to deal with money; it is a fact of life. Most who are in trouble in their finances are not slothful, evil or out to scam anyone. They are simply of unaware of how to manage it.

2. Indulgence

In so many ways, North America is a land filled with opportunity and freedom. It is a wonderful place to live, yet along with this comes a wide and dangerous path filled with the availability to live in excess.

The attitude of most is "I can have it all, I deserve it all and I am going for it all - whatever the cost" and fall victim to the trap of indulgence. It leaves us listless, empty and dissatisfied. Statistics prove we lack discipline in so many areas of our daily lives. Knowledge of the pitfalls of excess is readily available, yet we quickly look past the reality and the truth of it and slip into a neutral zone where personal responsibility is hidden.

When it comes to dealing with excess we fight our own human nature to please our flesh. Even Paul said in Romans 7:15 - "The things I don't want to do I do and the things I want to do I don't "… We must understand that it takes a strong commitment to take responsibility and not dive head long into the excesses that surround us.

It has been Satan's plan from the beginning to tempt us to rise up and do things "our way" - to be imprisoned within our own freedom by poor choices that simply cater to our own needs.

True freedom comes with giving up the determination to have it our way and believing more in the power of God to guide us than our logic and fleshly desires. It is no wonder, without God, so many people struggle to avoid the many areas of excess that promise to bring them hope and fulfillment. Lurking behind most debt is a self-indulgent lifestyle. Our desires have become our needs. Brian Tracy a motivational speaker says, "We are being taught by everything around us to have dessert before dinner."

3. Indifference

Most people live from paycheck to paycheck with no thought of the unexpected. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! The average American reaches retirement age with $200 in their bank account. If asked about our short-term and long -term goals many times we have no defining answer.

A woman in a mall pushing a shopping cart, which corralled her three young shopping partners, was asked about her short-term and long-term goals. She replied," My short-term goal is to find the bag of candy they want so I can finish my shopping. My long-range goal is to successfully bag my groceries, get them and to my car, deposit the groceries in the trunk and buckle these kids into their seats before I lose any of them." Most of us are so taken up with the art of survival we aren't considering anything past the moment.

Let's determine to put away ignorance, Indulgence and Indifference and begin to live the abundant life god has promised us!