Who or what is king over your life? Each one of us needs to answer the same question that Joshua posed to the Israelites: "Choose this day whom you will serve." Are we going to serve God or mammon?

Scripture and Church teaching set forth two clear, but divergent, paths that we can take with our finances. The world's view is characterized by love of self and love of things, while God's view is characterized by love of God and love of neighbor. The world's way leads to bondage, anxiety and worry; while God's way leads to freedom, peace and contentment.

How can you tell if you are following the way of the world with your finances? Look at the following symptoms and see if they apply to you:

* Habitual overspending. Over 50% of Americans admit to consistent overspending.
* Lack of tithing. Charitable giving in America is less than two percent of income.
* High levels of debt, especially credit card and consumer debt.
* Lack of saving. 82% of Americans admit they are not saving adequate amounts for future needs.

In Proverbs 22:7, we are told that "The borrower is the slave of the lender." One father recently described the pressure of his family's credit card debts as a noose around his neck with a concrete slab attached, with more and more concrete getting piled on daily. I don't know how that makes you feel, but to me that's bondage! Can you relate to the pressure this father is experiencing?

If those are some of the symptoms of the world's way, how can we tell if we are following God's way? Review the sidebar on the next page titled, "Christian Principles to Guide Family Finances." These are the foundational principles we find in Scripture and Church teaching that should guide our family finances.

If for too long you have been following the world with your finances, I'd like to offer the following five practical steps you can take to restore the Kingship of Christ over this area of your lives:

* Recognize that God owns it all (Deut. 10:14).
* Make a good examination of conscience and a good confession. Submit this area to Christ's will. This would be an excellent preparation for your home enthronement.
* Set a reasonable lifestyle, live within your means, and begin to budget.
* Eliminate debt, especially credit card debt. Start by committing to take on no more debt and establish a plan to pay off your existing debt.
Begin to tithe. This is the most challenging, but also the most rewarding step you can take.

I would like to share a few more thoughts on tithing this month because it really is the key to restoring the Kingship of Christ over your finances. If God truly owns it all, then tithing is our way of recognizing His Kingship: otherwise, we are still subject to another king. Scripture includes several references (Malachi 3:10, Sirach 35:10 to name two) which describe a relationship between tithing and receiving God's blessings. In the last issue, we shared the story of a beautiful family who began to tithe under very difficult circumstances and described the blessings they had received. In addition to that story, here are a few testimonies from other families I have counseled:

* One family faithfully began to tithe, unsure as to how it would work out because expenses always seemed to exceed income. Within a few weeks, the husband received a 10% raise.
* Another husband who was unemployed has found work.
* Families who never had enough money before have found that their needs have been met, and somehow there has been a positive balance in the checking account at the end of the month.
* One family shared that it was fun to write the tithing checks as opposed to their regular bills, which reminded me of 2 Corinthians 9:7, where it says "God loves a cheerful giver."

Are these coincidences? I don't think so! It's learning God's precepts for living our daily lives, making a faithful response to follow those precepts, and watching God be faithful as He keeps His promises.

Even though the Lord promises His blessings, it is important for us to have a proper motive regarding our tithing. As Pope Pius XII stated in his encyclical, On Devotion to the Sacred Heart, "We are primarily led to worship God not for any personal advantage,... but on account of the goodness of God."

So the choice is yours to make. You can have the noose and the slab that comes with the world's ways, or the peace and contentment that comes by submitting your finances to Christ's will. Remember His comforting words in Mt. 11:30, "My yoke is easy and my burden light."

I'd like to close with a short story from Archbishop Sheen. He describes a mint where the coins of a country are produced. In that mint are two molds, a mold of Caesar and a mold of Christ. If we are the coins, we need to ask ourselves a key question. Are we imprinted with Caesar (do we belong to the world), or are we imprinted with Christ (do we belong to God)? It is my hope and prayer that we are all imprinted with Christ. God love you!

Phil Lenahan is a CPA who worked for five years with the Arthur Andersen accounting firm. For the last seven years, he has worked as a controller for Fleetwood Enterprises. Phil and his wife, Chelsey, have been married for eleven years and are the parents of four children. Questions on family finances can be sent to Phil via the Family Life Center 24 hr. fax (813) 743-6647.

Christian Principles to Guide Family Finances
* Seek first the Kingdom of God.
* Trust in the Providence of God.
* Develop a charitable spirit.
* Practice the virtue of temperance.
* Develop personal responsibility.