Eighteenth century evangelist John Wesley understood the spiritual struggle many people have with the place of money in their lives. Here was the irony of his ministry. The Wesleyan revivals were turning people, many of whom had serious drinking problems, into sober-minded, hardworking, responsible individuals. In fact, some of Wesley's converts became so successful that they began letting their commitment to Christ slide. They had allowed their success, their affluence, to become their god, and in reality, they were as lost as they were when Christ first touched their lives.

Wesley's solution? He saw only one: That they should EARN all they could, SAVE all they could and then GIVE all they could. Let me put his formula in the present tense, for it is a good one: Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can. Many people today can do the first two, but they have difficulty with the third. Why? Because money has taken over first place in their lives.