A budget is a guide. Start with what you can come up with and refine it over time. A poor budget is better than no budget at all. So don’t wait for a perfect one.

You cannot serve The Lord Jesus Christ and Mammon.  Mammon represents anything a Christian values more than The Lord, and may include money, fame, status, material possessions, etc.

Value system is an individualistic concept and is greatly determined by one’s virtues or vices. People’s internal conception of what is good, useful, beneficial, desirable or important is entirely their prerogative. More often than not however, values are informed by aspirations, need for relevance, desire to make meaning out of life, want of material possessions and concerns about making ends meet (having food, drink, clothing, shelter etc).

For a Christian, it is expected that the Bible should majorly influence choices made (what is right or wrong) as will be ultimately reflected in actions taken. Jesus Christ recognized the importance of value system in informing our thoughts, words and actions. Little wonder then, He categorically stated in Matthew 6:24b; “…you CANNOT serve God and Mammon.”

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon” Matthew 6:24 NKJV

It’s an all or null situation, ….and understandably so. Except of course we are dealing with the ‘christian’  described in James 1:6 as ‘a wave of the sea driven and tossed by every wind” ; a man who is unstable, unsteady and undecided about his beliefs and value system.

“…for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6b NKJV

The double-minded man described in James 1:6b has his answer from the Lord in the next verse of same scripture…he should not expect to receive anything from The Lord!

The Lord Jesus Christ admonishes us to keep worry far from us. Do not worry about food, drink, clothes and any other drivers of our decisions and choices. The Lord takes care of the jobless birds of the air, feeds and nourishes them. He clothes (most beautifully) the lilies and grass of the field.

The way I see it, worry and faith seem to be at extreme ends of a spectrum for a Christian. If you have faith in the ability and willingness of The Lord to meet all your needs, you won’t worry and your value system is unlikely to be twisted from Christ’s expectations.

So have faith in God for your daily needs!