“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21
Beautiful sister, can I ask you something? When was the last time you made a financial decision that left you feeling truly fulfilled? Not just satisfied with a purchase, but deeply aligned with who you are and what matters most to you?
If you’re struggling to answer that question, you’re not alone. Many of us are managing money without ever stopping to ask ourselves: What do I actually value? What does wealth mean to me? What kind of life am I building with my rand and cents?
Today, we’re going on a journey of discovery – one that will transform your relationship with money from a source of stress and confusion into a powerful tool for creating the life that truly fulfills you. With peace, love, and divine guidance, let’s be elevated, empowered, and enlightened about what money really means in your unique journey.
Why Financial Values Matter More Than You Think
The Money-Values Disconnect
Here’s a truth that might sting a little: most of us are spending money on things we don’t truly value while neglecting the things that matter most to us. We say family is our priority, but we work overtime for things we don’t need instead of being present at home. We say we value our health, but we spend on takeaways while our gym membership goes unused. We say we want financial freedom, but we make decisions that keep us trapped in debt.
This disconnect between what we say we value and how we actually spend our money is the root of so much financial stress and life dissatisfaction.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33
What Are Financial Values?
Your financial values are the principles and priorities that should guide every money decision you make. They’re not about being “good” or “bad” with money – they’re about being intentional and aligned with what truly matters to you.
Financial values answer questions like:
- What do I want money to do for me and my family?
- What experiences or outcomes matter more than material possessions?
- How do I want to feel about my financial life?
- What legacy do I want to leave?
- How does my faith inform my financial decisions?
- What kind of impact do I want my money to make in the world?
The Cost of Living Without Financial Values
Sister, let me paint a picture you might recognize:
You work hard, earn decent money, but at the end of the month there’s nothing left. You buy things that gave you a temporary thrill but now sit unused. You feel guilty about spending but can’t quite explain what you spent on. You dream of financial freedom but your daily money choices don’t reflect that dream. You want to be generous but feel like you can never afford it. You stress about money constantly but don’t know how to make different choices.
This is what living without clear financial values looks like.
The emotional toll is real:
- Financial guilt – constantly feeling bad about money choices
- Decision fatigue – every purchase becomes a draining internal debate
- Relationship strain – fighting with partners about money because you have different unstated values
- Spiritual disconnect – feeling like your money life and faith life are separate
- Chronic stress – anxiety about money that never really goes away
- Emptiness – earning and spending without feeling fulfilled
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” – Mark 8:36
Discovering Your Core Financial Values
Step 1: Reflect on Your Life Priorities
Before we can align our money with our values, we need to get crystal clear on what those values actually are.
Grab a journal and spend time with these questions:
About Faith and Purpose:
- How does my faith inform how I should handle money?
- What does God want me to do with the resources He’s entrusted to me?
- Am I a good steward of what I’ve been given?
About Family and Relationships:
- What kind of family life do I want to create?
- How important is time with loved ones versus working for more money?
- What financial legacy do I want to leave for my children?
About Security and Freedom:
- What does financial security mean to me specifically?
- How much is “enough” for me to feel safe?
- What does financial freedom look like in my life?
About Growth and Contribution:
- How important is personal development and learning?
- What impact do I want to make in my community?
- How does giving and generosity fit into my financial picture?
About Experiences and Lifestyle:
- What experiences bring me genuine joy and fulfillment?
- What lifestyle choices matter most to me?
- What material things truly enhance my life versus just clutter it?
Step 2: Identify Your Top 5 Financial Values
Based on your reflections, identify the five values that matter most to you. Here are common financial values – circle the ones that resonate, and add your own:
Common Financial Values:
- Faith-based stewardship – managing money as God’s resource
- Family security – ensuring loved ones are protected and provided for
- Generosity – giving to others and supporting causes
- Financial independence – freedom from debt and financial stress
- Legacy building – creating generational wealth
- Experience over things – prioritizing memories and moments
- Community impact – using money to strengthen your community
- Personal growth – investing in education and development
- Health and wellness – prioritizing physical and mental wellbeing
- Creative expression – funding artistic or creative pursuits
- Adventure and exploration – traveling and experiencing new things
- Simplicity – living with less, focusing on essentials
- Excellence – investing in quality over quantity
- Sustainability – making environmentally conscious choices
Your Top 5 Financial Values:
Step 3: Define What Each Value Means to You
Don’t just list abstract concepts – get specific about what each value looks like in your life.
Example:
- Value: Family Security
- What it means: Having 6 months emergency savings, owning our home debt-free, and being able to afford quality education for my children without debt
- What it doesn’t mean: Saying yes to every family request for money, or staying in a job I hate just for the paycheck
Your Turn – Define Your Values:
Value 1: _______________________________ What it means to me: _______________________________ What it looks like in practice: _______________________________
Value 2: _______________________________ What it means to me: _______________________________ What it looks like in practice: _______________________________
Continue for all five values.
The Biblical Foundation for Financial Values
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” – Psalm 24:1
Before we go further, let’s ground our financial values in biblical truth. Understanding that we’re stewards, not owners, of everything we have transforms how we make money decisions.
Biblical Financial Principles to Guide Your Values:
1. Stewardship Over Ownership “Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” – 1 Corinthians 4:2
We don’t own anything – we manage God’s resources. This shifts our question from “What do I want to do with my money?” to “What does God want me to do with His resources?”
2. Contentment Over Comparison “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” – 1 Timothy 6:6
Your financial values should reflect what brings you true satisfaction, not what impresses others or matches their lifestyle.
3. Generosity Over Hoarding “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.” – Luke 6:38
True wealth includes the ability and willingness to bless others. Generosity should be woven into your financial values.
4. Planning Over Impulse “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5
Your values should guide intentional planning, not reactive spending.
5. Eternal Perspective Over Temporary Pleasure “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:19
Our financial values should balance present needs with eternal significance.
Aligning Your Spending with Your Values
Now comes the practical part – making your money behavior match your stated values.
The Values-Based Budget Framework
Traditional budgets fail because they’re just categories and numbers. A values-based budget starts with your priorities and allocates money accordingly.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Spending
Review the last three months of bank statements and credit card bills. For every expense, ask:
- Which of my core values does this align with?
- How did this purchase make me feel afterward?
- Would I make this choice again?
- What was I really seeking when I made this purchase?
Create three columns:
Column 1: Aligned Spending (expenses that clearly reflect your values) Column 2: Neutral Spending (necessary but not value-driven – utilities, basic groceries) Column 3: Misaligned Spending (expenses that don’t reflect your stated values)
Example Audit:
- R800 takeaways (misaligned – I value health and family time, but I’m too tired to cook)
- R500 church offering (aligned – reflects my faith and generosity values)
- R2000 electricity (neutral – necessary expense)
- R1500 daughters’ educational books (aligned – reflects family and growth values)
- R3000 clothes I haven’t worn (misaligned – impulse purchases that don’t reflect any core value)
Step 2: Redesign Your Budget Around Your Values
Instead of starting with income and subtracting expenses, start with values and allocate accordingly.
Values-Based Budget Template:
Value 1: [Your Top Value] – ___% of income
- Specific allocations for this value
- Examples: emergency fund contributions, education savings, tithing
Value 2: [Your Second Value] – ___% of income
- Specific allocations for this value
Value 3: [Your Third Value] – ___% of income
- Specific allocations for this value
Essential Neutral Expenses: – ___% of income
- Rent/bond, utilities, basic groceries, transportation
Flexible Spending: – ___% of income
- Room for life’s unexpected needs and small joys
Example Values-Based Budget:
Faith & Generosity (20%):
- 10% church tithing
- 5% community support/charity
- 5% helping family members in need
Family Security (30%):
- 10% emergency fund
- 15% debt reduction
- 5% life insurance
Personal Growth (10%):
- Online courses and books
- Skills development
- Health and wellness
Essential Expenses (35%):
- Housing, utilities, food, transport
Flexible/Joy (5%):
- Small treats, unexpected opportunities
Step 3: Create Decision-Making Filters
Before any purchase, run it through your values filter:
The 5-Question Values Check:
- Which of my core values does this align with?
- Will this choice matter in 5 years?
- Am I buying this for myself or to impress others?
- Does this move me closer to or further from my financial goals?
- What would I have to give up (from my actual values) to afford this?
If the purchase doesn’t clearly align with at least one core value, the answer is no.
Living Your Values in Different Financial Scenarios
When You Have Extra Money
Before your values: Impulse purchases, mindless spending, money “disappears”
With your values:
- If you value generosity: increase giving
- If you value security: boost emergency fund
- If you value family: plan a meaningful experience together
- If you value growth: invest in education or skills
- If you value legacy: increase retirement or children’s education savings
When Money is Tight
Before your values: Panic, guilt, desperation, poor decisions
With your values:
- Your values help you prioritize ruthlessly
- You cut spending that doesn’t align with core values first
- You protect the expenses that reflect what matters most
- You make peace with temporary sacrifices because you know your “why”
When Making Big Decisions
Before your values: Confusion, comparison, social pressure
With your values:
- Should I buy a house or rent? (Consider your security, family, and freedom values)
- Should I take this job offer? (Evaluate against your lifestyle, growth, and purpose values)
- Should we upgrade our car? (Does this align with our actual transportation needs and other priorities?)
- Should I start a business? (Does this reflect my values around independence, impact, and risk?)
Teaching Financial Values to Your Children
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
One of the most powerful ways to live your financial values is to pass them on to the next generation.
Age-Appropriate Values Education:
Ages 5-8: Foundation Years
- Model your values through your choices (children watch what you do)
- Talk about “needs versus wants” in values language
- Include children in values-aligned activities (giving, saving for family goals)
- Celebrate when they make choices that reflect family values
Ages 9-12: Understanding Years
- Explain the “why” behind financial decisions
- Give them small budgets to practice values-based choices
- Discuss advertising and social pressure to spend
- Share age-appropriate family financial goals and values
Ages 13-17: Practice Years
- Involve them in family budget discussions
- Let them make mistakes with their own money
- Discuss how values impact major life choices (education, career, relationships)
- Help them identify their own emerging financial values
Ages 18+: Independence Years
- Support them as they develop their own values-based financial plan
- Share your experiences (including mistakes) as learning opportunities
- Respect their values even if they differ from yours
- Continue modeling your values in your own financial life
Family Values Conversations
Monthly Family Financial Check-ins:
- What did we spend money on this month?
- How did those choices reflect our family values?
- What could we do differently next month?
- What are we saving for together and why does it matter?
Navigating Values Conflicts
When Your Values Clash with Your Partner’s
This is one of the biggest challenges in relationships. Different financial values aren’t wrong – they’re just different. Here’s how to navigate:
Step 1: Each person identifies their top 5 values independently
Step 2: Share and discuss without judgment
- Where do your values overlap?
- Where do they differ?
- What life experiences shaped each person’s values?
Step 3: Create shared family values
- Find the common ground
- Respect the unique values each brings
- Decide together how to allocate money to honor both sets of values
Step 4: Establish decision-making agreements
- What amount requires both people’s agreement?
- How will you handle value conflicts when they arise?
- How often will you revisit your shared values?
Example Compromise: Her value: Generosity and giving to family His value: Security and saving for emergencies Shared solution: Set aside 5% for family support and 15% for emergency fund, both partners feel heard
When Your Values Conflict with Cultural or Social Expectations
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2
Sister, this is where living your values requires courage. Your community, family, or culture might have expectations about how you should spend money that don’t align with your values.
Common conflicts:
- Pressure to host expensive events when you value simplicity
- Expected financial support for extended family when you’re struggling yourself
- Social pressure to maintain appearances when you value authenticity
- Cultural expectations about certain purchases or lifestyle markers
How to navigate:
- Be clear and kind: “I appreciate the invitation, but we’ve made different financial choices for our family.”
- Offer alternatives: “We can’t contribute money, but we can help in other ways.”
- Set boundaries: “We’ve decided to prioritize [value] right now, so we’re saying no to things that don’t align.”
- Find your tribe: Surround yourself with people who respect your values
The Life-Changing Impact of Values-Aligned Finances
When your money and your values align, everything changes:
Financial Peace
No more guilt, shame, or confusion about money. Every decision has a clear “why” behind it. You can say no without explanation and yes with confidence.
Intentional Living
You’re no longer drifting through life spending reactively. You’re building the life you actually want, one deliberate choice at a time.
Relationship Harmony
When couples share financial values, money fights decrease dramatically. You’re working toward shared goals instead of pulling in different directions.
Spiritual Alignment
Your financial life reflects your faith. Stewardship, generosity, and contentment become natural expressions of your relationship with God.
Fulfillment and Joy
Money becomes a tool for creating the life that matters to you, not a source of constant stress and dissatisfaction.
Authentic Generosity
When your finances reflect your values, giving becomes natural and joyful rather than obligatory or guilt-driven.
Legacy Creation
You’re not just surviving financially – you’re building something meaningful that will outlive you.
Your 30-Day Values-Alignment Challenge
Ready to transform your financial life? Here’s your roadmap:
Week 1: Discovery
- Day 1-2: Complete the reflection questions
- Day 3-4: Identify your top 5 financial values
- Day 5-6: Define what each value means specifically to you
- Day 7: Write your personal financial values statement
Week 2: Assessment
- Day 8-10: Audit your last 3 months of spending
- Day 11-12: Categorize expenses (aligned, neutral, misaligned)
- Day 13: Calculate what percentage of your spending reflects your values
- Day 14: Identify your biggest values-spending gap
Week 3: Redesign
- Day 15-16: Create your values-based budget
- Day 17-18: Set up tracking systems
- Day 19-20: Have values conversations with family/partner
- Day 21: Implement your new budget
Week 4: Practice
- Day 22-28: Use your 5-question values check before every purchase
- Day 29: Review your progress and adjust
- Day 30: Celebrate and plan for ongoing values alignment
Practical Tools for Living Your Financial Values
The Values Statement Template
Create a personal financial values statement that guides your decisions:
“I, [your name], believe that money is a tool God has entrusted to me for [purpose]. My financial decisions will reflect my commitment to [value 1], [value 2], and [value 3]. I will measure financial success not by how much I earn or own, but by how well my spending aligns with what truly matters to me. I commit to using money intentionally to create [your vision] for my life and family.”
The Weekly Money Date
Set aside 30 minutes weekly to:
- Review spending against values
- Celebrate aligned choices
- Discuss upcoming financial decisions
- Adjust as needed
- Pray about your financial stewardship
The Monthly Values Check
Once a month, evaluate:
- What percentage of my spending reflected my values this month?
- What value-aligned choices am I proud of?
- Where did I compromise my values and why?
- What will I do differently next month?
- How am I feeling about my financial life overall?
The Quarterly Vision Review
Every three months:
- Revisit your values – have they shifted?
- Assess progress toward values-aligned goals
- Celebrate wins and learn from challenges
- Adjust budget allocations if needed
- Share your journey with accountability partners
When Values Alignment Feels Hard
Sister, let’s be real – living your values isn’t always easy, especially when:
You’re in debt: Focus on the value of freedom and security. Every debt payment is a values-aligned choice moving you toward the life you want.
You feel deprived: Remember, you’re not giving up things you want – you’re choosing things that matter more. Reframe from deprivation to intentionality.
Others judge your choices: Let your values be your shield. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for living according to what matters most to you.
You make mistakes: Grace, sister! Values-aligned living is a practice, not perfection. Learn from missteps and keep going.
Progress is slow: Small, consistent values-aligned choices compound over time. Trust the process.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
Your Invitation to Fulfillment
Beautiful sister, discovering and living your financial values isn’t just about money – it’s about creating a life of purpose, peace, and alignment with who you were created to be.
Imagine waking up each day knowing that your financial choices reflect what truly matters to you. Imagine making spending decisions with confidence instead of guilt. Imagine teaching your children not just how to manage money, but why it matters and what it’s for. Imagine using money as a tool to create the life God designed for you.
This is what’s possible when you discover your financial values and align your money with them.
The journey starts with one question: What do I truly value?
The fulfillment comes when you answer that question honestly and live it courageously.
Your abundant, meaningful, values-aligned life is waiting. Will you claim it?
Take Your Next Step
Ready to dive deeper into values-based financial living? Explore resources, tools, and community support at beacons.ai/thriven – because your financial journey should reflect your unique values and vision.
What’s one financial value you’re committing to live more fully? Share your commitment and let’s encourage each other on this journey. 💜
Scripture for Meditation: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12