In a single chapter of Matthew,
two questions get asked.

The first is about money.

The second is about everything else.

Three groups of religious experts came to test Jesus on the same day. The Pharisees went first. Their question was political and financial: should we pay the imperial tax to Caesar?

It was a trap. Say yes, and he loses the patriots. Say no, and Rome arrests him.

He asked to see a coin. Whose face is on it? Caesar's. Then give Caesar what is Caesar's and give God what is God's.

The crowd was amazed. The Pharisees walked away. Bye, bye.

·   ·   ·

But the chapter keeps going. The Sadducees took a swing. Then a Pharisee lawyer stepped in:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus answered:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Leviticus 19:18 adds Old Testament authority to the pronouncement. Know your audience.

·   ·   ·

Two questions. Same chapter.
The first about money. The second about identity.

Most of us live them in reverse order.

We start the day asking, "Will I have enough?" and end it asking, "Did I love anyone today?"

We build budgets that account for every dollar but do not account for whether the dollars are pointed at anything we believe in.

We optimize for return and call it stewardship.

I see veterans grinding through transition with a twelve-page Excel model of their pension, TSP, and VA disability, and zero pages on what the money is for. I see believers tithing with religious fervor and then carrying a low-grade anxiety about money that they never name out loud. Can God really provide for us?

·   ·   ·

The Greatest Commandment does not tell you
what to do with your money.

It tells you what comes first.

Here is the principle, as practically as I can put it as a CFP® Professional and military chaplain:

When God is loved with heart, soul, and mind, first, money becomes a tool of love. It funds your family. It supplies your church. It serves your neighbor. It enables your calling.

When God is not loved first, money becomes the thing you serve. It tells you when you are safe. It tells you when you have arrived. It tells you who you are.

Caesar still gets the coin, regardless. Uncle Sam gets his. One way or the other.

But God still gets the question.

The reordering looks small from the outside:

• A tithe before a Roth contribution
• A donor-advised fund (if you don't know what that is, hit me up) before a vacation fund
• A budget line called "Love Neighbor" with real dollars in it

Some of your neighbors are struggling. They might just be too ashamed to admit it.

From the inside, it changes everything.

·   ·   ·

Saint Augustine taught that we have disordered loves. God is the highest good and, therefore, deserves our ultimate (heart) allegiance. IOW, we should love Him above all else. Money, well, it's lower on the scale. American Capitalism (Capital C intentionally), though, has elevated it beyond the highest building.

·   ·   ·

So here is what I want to ask you: when you look at your money, your accounts, your budget, your giving, your debt — which question is in the lead?

Money first?
Or the Greatest Commandment first?

Hit reply and tell me.
No shade. No judgment. I read every one.

Mission first,

Joshua Brooks, CFP®
Founder and Chief Compliance Officer, Exponential Advisors

·   ·   ·

P.S. This is not financial advice. It is an invitation to think about whose face is on your coin and whose name is on your heart.

---

Disclosures. Exponential Advisors LLC is an investment adviser registered with the State of Texas. This newsletter is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized investment, tax, legal, or financial planning advice. Nothing in this message is an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security or to enter into an advisory engagement. Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. References to specific account types, strategies, or vehicles are illustrative only and may not be appropriate for your circumstances. Our Form ADV Part 2A and Form CRS describe our services, fees, and material conflicts of interest, and are available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or by emailing josh@exponentialadvisors.net. To stop receiving these emails, use the unsubscribe link below.