"People often lie for money––maybe not always outright lies––but embellished rationalizations to get what they need at the moment. They know they are not telling the truth but believe the money gained by misrepresentation will make a difference. Ask any insurance claims adjuster how often a claimant is caught fabricating damage or loss for monetary gain. How many times has a “financial professional” told clients that an investment was “good for them” when it was good only for the vendor. The Markopolos report of Bernie Madoff’s demise reveals the deceptive approaches and cunning delivery animating the embellishments he sold. Told with frequency, the lies soon took on a life of their own.

People cheat for money. People kill and maim for money—and not just the mafia. People kill and maim for money—and not just the mafia.

How do we utilize our life force? Is the primary aim to accumulate? Do we sacrifice meaning for the sake of means? What designs are upon us––the actions and services wired into our DNA––that are being ignored while we are in pursuit of increase? The long and short of the money dilemma is that much of what ails us individually and collectively as humans can be traced back to our beliefs about what money can do for us. Many have been instructed to get it at any cost, ultimately leading to a shadowed life or a shipwrecked existence.

When money is properly ordered in our lives, we can begin to live a “true life”––or the life Jesus personally designed for us. It is a life of doing good and feeling good about it. It is a life designed around Jesus’ intentions for us with the limited time we have on this planet. Money is a key part of that life—but only for the sake of keeping the lights on. In the eyes of the world, however, money is much more than that.

Jesus’ financial philosophy, first and foremost, recognizes that money is necessary (a utility) for carrying on our daily lives. But concurrent with this positioning of the material, Jesus also recognizes the inherent dangers of what this “utility” can become if not properly managed.This potentially dangerous force is like mixing water and electricity––it becomes dangerous only when not properly managed and insulated. Every utility has great potential for improving our lives, but left unchecked, possesses the potential to erode and scorch our lives...and so it is with the money utility.

Jesus offers soundness and wholeness, while allowing for practical management of the substance itself. He recognized the transcendent power within the substance—the otherworldly grip that can infest our souls. We are not and cannot be “whole” without first making peace with the force of money in our daily lives and in our existence at large. Until we reach that point, we remain susceptible to misdirection, churning our energies for a life that produces fruit far below our designs.

When money is properly ordered in our lives, we can begin to live a “true life”––or the life Jesus personally designed for us. It is a life of doing good and feeling good about it. It is a life designed around Jesus’ intentions for us with the limited time we have on this planet. Money is a key part of that life—but only for the sake of keeping the lights on. In the eyes of the world, however, money is much more than that.