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Is Money Evil?
by Gary Foreman
Do you think that it's virtuous to be poor? Many people do. In many religious
traditions holiness is in part accomplished by turning your back on material
things. The idea is that to appreciate the spiritual you need to totally forsake
the material. Or at least get as close as possible. Many have taken vows of
poverty to pursue this goal.
But, I'd argue that it's a not quite that simple. Money is just a tool. You
wouldn't say that a person was bad because they had too many tools. Money is
just a way that we have of exchanging things. By itself money has no value. It's
not necessarily good or bad. It's what people do with money that is good or bad.
So the problem is with the way money is used. Not the money itself.
One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is that "For the love of money is
a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim 6:10). It's the love that causes the
problem. When you place your affection on money you become vulnerable to
troubles. The mere fact that you have accumulated some wealth does not make you
bad.
So what does this have to do with achieving Financial Independence? Good
question! Actually, quite a bit.
First, to be financially independent means being in control of our money. Not to
have our money control us. So we need to be careful not to fall in love with our
money. If we do, we'll begin to let money have too much influence over us. Just
another way of saying money is in control.
Secondly, a belief that money is bad could be sabotaging your desire to build
wealth. If subconsciously we believe that all money is evil, then we'll push it
away from us. We'll find it hard to do the things necessary to build a savings
account or IRA. I've even heard people say that they have a way of 'repelling
money' or that they're 'allergic to money'. We can't see our subconscious, but
it has a large impact on what we do and say. Sometimes it even ruins our own
plans.
So what do you think about money? Do you have a good relationship with it? Or is
it time to reconsider what you believe?
_______________________
Gary Foreman is the editor of The Dollar
Stretcher.com a website devoted to helping people "live better...for
less". This post originally appeared in Financial Independence. FI is a daily
message designed to help people take control of their financial lives. To find
out more check out the Financial Independence page <
http://www.stretcher.com/financialindependence/declaration.cfm >. |