Americans certainly include those who are poor, but America in the last half century or so has known an age of prosperity unlike any in history. What do we do with our prosperity?

Those with money left over after their basic needs are met will make choices, whether purposefully or not. Understandably, “basic” is a moving target. Nevertheless, American prosperity has long given a significant number of us disposable income.

Most would agree on uses of income that we would abhor—use of income to sexually exploit others, especially children, for example. We generally would agree, in principal at least, that paying bribes to obtain political favors is wrong.

But what lawful ways do we agree are acceptable? Vacations, probably. Surely, time away from routine duties refreshes and renews us. But vacations can range from a few days of hiking trails to mind expanding foreign travel to expensive sojourns in exotic locations.

We can use extra money to fix up our house to be more livable and create space for relaxing hobbies or entertaining or bringing people together in community. Or we can make our house some kind of useless god which devours our money and time and keeps us from more useful pursuits.

We can support political causes. We can support international efforts to feed people or develop democracies. We can support soup kitchens and affordable housing.

We owe it to the gifts given us to give thought as to how we use them. Money itself is not the root of all evil. As always, our decisions about the use of our money determine whether money is good or evil.