BEHOLDEN TO MONEY
In his book How Much Is Enough? Hungering For God In An Affluent Culture author and Founder of Bread for the World: Arthur Simon writes about Bryce and Ellen, "a couple in their mid-thirties. They have two sons and a daughter, and on Sundays the family attends church more often than not.
"Bryce manages about twenty people in a medium-sized accounting firm. He receives a good salary and is on a path that he believes may eventually move him into a circle of company executives, so he goes to work early, often stays late, and usually works some on weekends. Ellen has a part-time job with a public relations firm, which allows her to manage the kids and take care of the house. None of this is easy, but it has enabled them to buy a house in an upscale neighborhood and a lot of recreational hardware, including a raft of toys, a couple of TVs for the children’s rooms, and a small yacht. Bryce and Ellen already talk about one day taking early retirement and moving to a place where they can enjoy year-round outdoor sports. Though deeply in debt, they are able to make timely payments and take pride in contributing 'more than most' to church in dollar amount, which at 2.5 percent of their income is about average for church members."
Simon continues, "They would be astonished--probably offended--to have anyone suggest that they are beholden to [money]. Yet their plans and dreams, and the dreams they are nourishing in their children, are overwhelmingly directed that way."
(From a sermon by Kenneth Sauer, "The Heart of the Matter," 2/22/2011)