I remember when I was a kid my older brother was contemplating going into sales, something he deeply dreaded, but was persuaded by a relative that it would bring him loads of cash, which it probably would have. My brother asked me, “if someone were to pay you lots of money to stare at that rock all day, would you do it?” I remember thinking initially, “of course not”, but then the evil thought creeped in, “how much money are we talking?” The fact is that God didn’t send us to earth to stare at rocks, or their equivalent. In other words, we are here for more than the dollar.
Idol worship is closely associate with putting your heart on a material thing, and living for it. People get to day dreaming about what they would do with more money, and that’s a dark path. When very wealthy people are asked with how much money would they be comfortable, the typical responce is always about double of what they have.
The grevious sin of ingratitude reaks to high heaven.
When people have lots of money they get in the habit of living like a rich man. They forget that they don’t really need that expensive of a home or car, or that expensive of dishes, clothes, and just about everything else. The excuses start flowing. “Well, I can afford it, so why not?” They forget the poor, and at best, give only minor afterthought to them. They consider small gifts sufficient, and treat themselves to large ones.
The rich person quickly forgets the standard of living of Christ. If you can live like a poor person yet have some money for purely charitable purposes, so be it. But oh, how rare a virtue that is!
Brigham Young said his greatest fear for the saints was that they would grow rich and forget God. Have we not done this? Brigham said he would rather we live in wigwams with the indians than to get into the sins of riches.
Well does Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft point out that poverty is a Christian virtue, just as its opposite, wealth, is a vice.
You can have anything in this world for money, that is the slogan of the Devil. You name it, you can buy it. The world is yours. Its the same temptation was offered to Christ, he could have had the whole world at his beckoncall. But the Christ said no.
College and the Devil’s Dollar
The bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil.
College should be focused on learning about the world, not about the dollar.
Most just want to go to college because they equate it with a big dollar sign.
People want the best college and the best job so they can make the best dollar.
College quickly becomes anti-Christ when we put it as a higher priority than marriage and children. When we put it as a higher priority than serving missions. When we put it as a higher priority than caring for the poor.
