Apr 23
30
Are You Chasing Money?
“Examine the next hundred people you meet. Ask them what they want most in life, and 98 of them will not be able to tell you. If you press them for an answer, some will say security, many will say money, a few will say happiness, others will say fame and power and still others will say social recognition, ease in living, ability to sing, dance or write, but none of them will be able to define these terms, or give the slightest indication of a plan by which they hope to attain these vaguely expressed wishes. Riches do not respond to wishes. They respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence.”
– Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich
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On a Personal Note:
Napoleon Hill’s line of thinking might offend some people because it seems to conflict with what Christ taught, that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.”
1 Tim. 6:10
Matt. 6: 24 “No one can slave for two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot slave for God and for Riches.”
I wrangled with these teachings for a long time. They seemed to be in direct conflict with what I was learning about building a business. I believe this is one of the main things that stopped me from being successful in business for so long.
However, after examining it more closely, to understand what Christ taught and to live in harmony with his teachings, I discovered that we need to have a BALANCED VIEW of Money.
It’s the LOVE of money that gets one in trouble … The insatiable greed and striving relentlessly for more.
Money has it’s place. It is as important as oxygen; we need it to survive. Without money, we’d probably wind up homeless, sick and possibly would die young! And, how can we be generous if we don’t have anything to share?
The scriptures say that we need to provide for our families and be generous, sharing with others, helping the needy. So how do these two thoughts tie together and work?
We don’t have to be poor! We just have to keep money in it’s proper place. In fact, King Solomon, one of the richest kings who ever lived, who prayed for Godly wisdom and shared it with us in the book of Ecclesiastes (Eccl. 2:24), said about the value of working hard and reaping the rewards, “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and find enjoyment in his hard work. This too, I have realized, is from the hand of the true God.”
So, yes we need to work to make a living and to be generous, helping others. It is a gift from God. However, we need to keep money in it’s proper place, not allowing a desire to cause us to LOVE it so much that we chase it, pursue it, and put it above God. We need to prioritize our lives, keeping God in first place. Not easy to balance – but we are encouraged to do it.
What a perfect time to prioritize and structure our lives to serve God first, work hard to provide for our families, and to be generous and hospitable, sharing with others.
In this way, LOVE of God and neighbor replace the never-ending, enslaving, insatiable love of money, so that our lives will be satisfying, fulfilling, and happy.
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