Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. (Luke 15:21)

I once knew a young couple, a husband and wife, who won the grand prize on a TV show called "The One Hundred Thousand Dollar Pyramid." One night, they showed me a videotape of the show and I saw them there on television, jumping up and down and screaming like people do on game shows. They won more money than they had ever imagined, an American dream come true.

But winning all that money really ruined their lives. Whereas they had always lived within their means in the past, now they went out and got dozens of credit cards and ran up enormous debts. By the time I met them, they were about to lose everything they had and were on their way to getting a divorce.

I know many people …