MONEY
MY LOVE

Topics: Example; Fathers; Greed; Money; Priorities; Values

References: Matthew 6:19–21; 1 Timothy 6:8–9

When I was thirteen my dad owned his own business—a tiny shack where he sold chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, and fries. One day the frying oil caught fire, and the whole place exploded in flames. My dad bolted from the store before the flames could engulf him.

Mom, Dad, and I stood outside, watching the fire burn. Suddenly my dad realized he had left his money in the metal cash register inside the building and ran back into the inferno.

He tried to open the metal register, but the drawer was sealed shut. So Dad picked up the scalding metal box and carried it outside. When he threw the register on the ground, the skin on his arms and chest came with it. He had escaped the fire safely once, untouched. Now he was severely injured.

That taught me money was more important than life. From that point on, earning money—lots of money—not only became what drove me professionally, but also became my emotional priority.

—Suze Orman, 9 Steps to Financial Freedom (Random House, 2000)