"We sometimes say that money talks," writes Robert McCracken, "and that’s for sure! A person can tell a great deal about another when he learns how he earns his money and how he spends it. For then you know a great deal about his motives, his standards, his desires and what his real religion is all about."

When we investigate the New Testament we find that one-third of all Jesus’ parables and one-sixth of all his teachings have to do with money and material possessions. Jesus approached life from the perspective that everything belongs to God. We, then, are simply stewards and managers of what he has given us. How we manage what we have been given, what we do with it, determines the ultimate destiny of our souls. Jesus certainly reflected this understanding when he said, "It’s harder for …