If you lack temperance, then you should fear acquiring wealth.
If you lack justice, then you should fear acquiring wealth.
If you lack courage, then you should fear acquiring wealth.
And, if you lack prudence, then you should fear acquiring wealth.
Money And The Virtues
The virtues are necessary if you are to succeed at being wealthy. Wealth as wealth is amoral. That is, it is neither good nor bad. It’s the use of wealth that is good or bad. This requires you make the right chooses at the right time towards the right people in the right way. Without the virtues, this is going to be very difficult, and in all likelihood you will end up serving money instead of money serving you and the good of others.
God and Money
Perhaps this is why Jesus said you couldn’t worship both God and money. You must choose today whom you are going to serve.
Do you know which one you would choose?
Be careful, least you deceive yourself. Many of you have been habituated to reply “always God first” to these types of questions. But does your heart truly desire this?
What if I offered you $1000 a day for the rest of your life. You won’t have to renounce God and let’s just add you would end up in heaven. However, the condition for you receiving the money is that you wouldn’t love God as much as you would have.
Are you tempted? $30,000 a month and you still get to go to heaven. Just love God a little less.
Poverty And God
Now let’s have some more fun, for I know I have some pious readers.
What if I told you if you didn’t take the money you would have to live in abject poverty for the rest of your life. You would struggle to know where your next meal would come from. You would not have enough money to clothe your children. Your kids just might cry because they were cold at night. However, despite these harsh conditions you would love God exponentially more.
Are you tempted? Be honest now!
There’s nothing wrong with wealth, but if you don’t have the virtues in place, the likelihood of you loving God less is highly probable. I dare to say, if you lack the virtues, do your soul a favor and choose abject poverty.
Alternatively, you could just begin cultivating the virtues now, so if you find yourself with wealth or in poverty you can say, “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.”
I have lived in poverty all my life! I am 58 years old, been widowed for 24 years now and had to raise my children by myself, no grandparents to help – I was orphaned at 15 and my husbands parents were both gone as well. All I’ve ever known is work to only keep my head above water, barely! I live in a house that is not finished, no carpet on the floor and I sleep in a room that in the winter is maybe 40* at night. Yet, i am the richest in my Faith! I LOVE my Lord and my God! I LOVE my Church and my Religion! Take money and love God less? NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is my Father, I believe He knows what is best for me!!
Wow! What a story. Thanks for sharing. Awesome! I am truly encouraged.
If you took the money not for yourself but to give to help others then what would bethe harm in that . You would be doing the lords work to help buy food ,shelter ,clothing and medical care for those who could not afford it . you don’t have to keep it for yourself just to help those in need . cathy from ma
There’s nothing wrong with having money. It’s having lots of money without virtue that I am worried about.