Gaining wealth and power

Being successful

You are a powerful and successful person. Someone who exudes a level of confidence that brings respect. Your status and performance has brought you financial rewards that allow you to have a satisfying lifestyle. That sounds great and if it’s you I have no doubt you will be feeling proud.

We all need a certain level of income in order to survive. But there’s more to life than just living at subsistence level. Having more than we really need allows us to get some of our wants. Our wants are non-essential things that are simply nice to have. You may feel that living life that way will bring you satisfaction and make you happy.

Being happy

There is no doubt that we will be happy if our basic needs are met. It seems logical that getting even more than that would make us even more happy. There is a point, however, where getting more does not bring greater happiness. There’s a saying, “money does not bring happiness’. In fact, in many cases, money does not seem to bring anything but misery.

In reality, it’s not the money that causes problems rather it’s the love of money. Think about that. Often, those with money are obsessed with getting more. They are never satisfied with what they have and falsely believe that more of the same will bring them happiness. That reminds me of the saying that, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

A change in our mindset is the only way to achieve true happiness. Happiness comes from within and it does affect us socially. If achieving wealth means that we ignore others and live alone we are surely not going to be happy in the longer term. Remember that if we are accumulating wealth then someone else is losing wealth. 

The effect of wealth accumulation

By having a focus on wealth accumulation there is a risk that we will become self-focussed. Our concern will revolve around personal gratification. This would be a move away from the second commandment that, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

It’s difficult to recognise our own selfish behaviour. Wealth brings us power. It makes us independent of others. We possibly see ourselves as successful and others as a failure. Like a pendulum we swing to and fro between Christian and non-Christian behaviour. We are always somewhere between the two extremes. 

I am not suggesting that everyone with wealth is self-serving but many are. There are some people with great wealth who support charitable organisations due to their genuine concern for the well-being of others. These philanthropists, however, do seem to be few and far between.

A look at what is currently happening in the “United” States of America well illustrates the damage caused by greed and the unfair distribution of wealth.

Sharing wealth

The bible identifies that we should share our wealth and give to the poor. There are numerous verses that suggest we should be generous and that if we are, God will provide for us according to our needs. It seems to suggest that we should give it all away but that’s not the intention. 

Some people interpret any discussion about money and giving as a money grabbing exercise by the church. That is so wrong and fails to recognise what Christianity really teaches. Elsewhere the bible identifies that God gave us the ability to earn money. It makes the point that we should work hard to steadily accumulate wealth and to provide for our family. 

Wealth and power

Great wealth brings power. It allows those who have it to purchase almost anything. Not just goods but also favour from other people. That’s why there is an expression, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”  

Most people want to be wealthy and wealth is addictive. Once people have it they always want more. Extreme wealth can bring a distorted view of reality. A lack of appreciation of what it is like to be needy. This often results in a disconnect from Christian values.

What’s wrong with loving money?

Surely working hard to support your family is a good thing. It is and that might cause you to wonder why Christians say that the love of money is the root of all evil. It’s important to realise that it is not money that is evil, it’s the “love” of money that is the problem. There are many references to money In the bible.

 As I said it’s the “love” of money that’s the problem. We always focus on what’s important to us. If the accumulation of money is our sole focus we will disregard morality when it competes with that aim. It means that we risk becoming selfish, corrupt, inconsiderate, greedy, egotistical, arrogant, treacherous, unjust and dissatisfied. 

Think about prominent rich people in the world today. For example, President Trump, Elon Musk and President Putin of Russia. Do they exhibit those characteristics?