Some years ago, Richard Foster wrote a book in which he described what he thought were the three most likely forces at work in the lives of modern Americans. His list? Money, sex, and power. And, you know, it’s possible. These things may very well be the base metals we use for forging a belief system. And we have a lot of latitude in how we use them. Take money, for example, it can be the most important thing in my life whether or not I have much of it or even want much of it. The same with sex and power. I can err on either side of an obsession; in the name of power, I can seek to control everybody else, or I can see to it that everybody else controls me. And the way I chose to play it exposes my most visceral beliefs about what is true in life. If I insist on being the master, it shows that I believe that is the safe way to navigate through life. If I choose to be the slave, it shows that I believe that is the path to security. Whatever I make into the central value of my life, however I might do it, it becomes the core of my faith. The only trouble is, outside of God my faith is misplaced. And the outcome? It is at best restrictive and worst destructive. Restrictive because it may prevent me from living in the freedom for which I was created and destructive because it places not only my life but also the lives of others at risk.