|
REAL POWER: MAXING OUT ON GOD'S LOVE |
THIS DOLLAR MAY BE
HAZARDOUS TO YOUR LIFE
Money is a two-edged sword. It’s
both the great facilitator and great destroyer. If you handle money
well, it makes the world a better place. If you handle it poorly, it
can destroy you and those you love. The front of every dollar should
carry a printed warning:
“Handle with care. This dollar may
be hazardous to your life.”
Jesus said three things about money
that help you keep it in perspective:
1.
The love of money is the root
of evil.
2.
You cannot serve God and
money.
3.
What does it profit a man if
he gains the world and loses his soul?
I believe what Jesus said is true. I
also believe that being rich is better than being poor, as long as
being rich doesn’t destroy you.
CONSUMED BY CASH
The love of money is the root of evil
for people who are consumed by their cash. Loving money is a pathetic
misdirection of your affections. Money is only a thing. It’s not a
person. Money will never love you back. It will never stand by you
through thick and thin. It doesn’t look for the good in you or make
you into a better person.
Loving money gets you into trouble,
because it turns your values upside down. When you love money, you
often stop loving people. You start doing things to other people in
order to get the money you love. Cheating and stealing are the
result of loving money. Greed dominates the lives of people in love
with cash. You have a choice. You will either love things or love
people. That choice will make a huge difference in the outcome of
your life.
LOOKING AT THE WORLD THROUGH
DOLLAR-SIGN EYES
You cannot serve God and money at the
same time. The reason is simple. When you serve money, you look at
the world through dollar-sign eyes. You place a monetary value on
everything including your personal relationships. You end up looking
into everyone’s wallet instead of into their heart.
I spent five years studying
investments during one phase of my life. I read every book on
investments that I could find. I had five shelves of books on the
principles of investing. I knew about stocks, bonds, options, futures
contracts, portfolio theory, technical analysis, and value based
investing. I studied investments until I started looking at the world
though dollar sign eyes. When that happened, I took off my
dollar-sign glasses, stopped studying investments, and turned my
attention to the important things of life.
Looking at the world through
dollar-sign eyes distorts your perspective. Your life becomes a
spreadsheet as you put a dollar value on your relationships. People
who get married often sign prenuptial agreements because they are
looking into their partner’s wallet rather than into their heart.
Some people never have children
because they feel it costs too much, and they want to spend all their
money on themselves. They erase the blessing of children from their
life with a spreadsheet. That is what dollar-sign eyes do for you.
That is why you cannot serve God and money at the same time. When you
serve money, you look at the world through dollar-sign eyes. When you
serve God, you look at the world through eyes of love. Your financial
status is irrelevant when you serve God. You may be rich, or you may
be poor. Rich is better as long as you don’t look at the world with
dollar-sign eyes.
WHEELERS AND DEALERS BEWARE
Jesus asked the question, “What does
it profit a man if he gains the world and loses his soul?” The
wheelers and dealers of life face a big choice. Are you willing to
sacrifice your spirituality in order to accumulate a mountain of
cash? Your soul is hanging in the balance. If you decide to love and
serve money, your soul will fly away as you put on your dollar-sign
glasses. When you make that choice, you may be rich, but you have chosen poorly.
A DISEASE CALLED “MORE”
If you pursue money as a goal, you
will never get enough. People consumed by money have a disease called
“more”. No matter how much they get, it’s never enough. In the
advanced stages of this disease, people relentlessly expand their
standard of living. Their need for cash flow increases
exponentially. They work harder and enjoy it less. The more they
work, the less time they have for their family. The victims of this
disease end up with new companions: divorce, depression, drugs,
alcoholism, and children who are adrift.
LESS IS BETTER
After living for half a century, I
have come to the following conclusion: less is better. I know that
capitalists and materialists are appalled at such a conclusion. They
need not worry. There is little risk that “less is better” will catch
on and spread throughout society. The economic system will not
suddenly implode if a few people adopt this philosophy.
“Less is better” is not a
renunciation of life or going to live in a monastery after turning
your back on the world. “Less is better” is stepping back from the
edge of conspicuous consumption and self-induced financial pressure.
It moves you in the direction of your need and away from your greed.
GO TO NEXT PAGE
Excerpt:
REAL POWER - MAXING OUT ON GOD'S LOVE
David J. Abbott M.D.
THE POSITIVE WEB RING
The Positive Web Ring has twelve positive web
sites. Each site lifts you up, pushes your mind in a positive
direction, and makes it easier to live your dreams. The
Positive Web Ring has something positive for everyone. There's
adventure,
positive
self-talk,
positive
spirituality,
positive
graphics,
positive music,
positive
podcasts, and much more.
If you are fighting against depression, visit
EradicateDepression.com.
If you struggle with negative thinking, visit
NoNegativeThinking.com.
The wheel of change always turns in the direction of what you put into
your mind, and the Positive Web Ring fills your mind with good things.
Give your mind a push in a positive direction today. Cruise your way
to a positive life. If you really want to be positive, nobody
can stop you.
PositiveWebRing.com
PositiveSelfTalk.com
PositiveThinkingRadio.com
PositiveGraphics.com
PositiveChristianRadio.com
PositiveButterflies.com
EradicateDepression.com
MaximumStrength PositiveThinking.com
ZeroToleranceToNegativeThinking.com
TooManyDrummers.com
GodLovesU.com
Maxingout.com
NoNegativeThinking.com
God has given you all the tools you need to have a positive mind.
Cruise the Positive Web Ring and find out how to become a positive
person.
RED SEA CHRONICLES DVD
When Dr. Dave isn't working as a flying doctor for the Indian Health
Service, He is sailing around the world on his sailboat. Find
out what it's like to sail on the ocean of your dreams by watching
Captain Dave's DVD.
Red Sea
Chronicles DVD Previews |
