Many people who lead simple-living lifestyles are millionaires. Their wealth is the result of hard work, perseverance, planning and—most of all—self-discipline. We regularly and continually give our money away to other people so they can become wealthy, while we live paycheck to paycheck.

We buy the latest cars, biggest houses, full wardrobes, daily espressos, high-tech gizmos and gadgets of all kinds. As a result, we're on treadmills, never allowing ourselves the time to create the kind of lifestyle we want. On the other hand, the many millionaires are described as "compulsive savers and investors."

In the book, The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, 1,115 millionaires were surveyed around the country. They came up with seven common denominators among those who successfully build wealth:

1. They live well below their means.
2. They allocate their time, energy and money efficiently, in ways conducive to building wealth.
3. They believe that financial independence is more important than displaying high social status.
4. Their parents did not provide economic outpatient care.
5. Their adult children are economically self-sufficient.
6. They are proficient in targeting market opportunities.
7. They chose the right occupations.

So what does this mean to us as believers or to those of us in ministry? If we will be self disciplined and apply these principles we should get ahead quicker because we have the promises of God's Word and His blessing upon our lives.

However, I see too many Christians who want to live frivolously and then expect God to bail them out. This list represents simple living at its finest. Here's why. Simple living is about living consciously and with a purpose. This means being in control of your money and your life.

When you save your money rather than continue spending, you buy yourself control. Then you have a say in how you'd like to spend your time. Let's be examples to the people we serve by being good stewards of the resources God has blessed us with.

Dean Hawk Ministries
All rights reserved. Used by permission.