For centuries, money has been a symbol of exchange of goods and services.
But money is also a measure of the meaning and value of different things; for example, if money represents greed and selfishness, it becomes a symbol of evil.
Money is a means to an end, and not an end itself.
Having more money is neither a sin nor a guilt.
Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
" (John 10:10) So, having abundance may indeed be a blessing.
But Jesus also warned that "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
" (Matthew 19:24) However, Jesus also reassured us that "With people, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
" (Matthew 19:26) In other words, we can use our abundance for spiritual development, that is, abundance and spirituality can go hand in hand.
Yes, we can be both abundant and spiritual - but it is by no means easy.
Why is being both abundant and spiritual the tallest order in life? To be abundant, we need to do the following: 1.
We need to give more in order to receive more: the more you give, the more you will receive.
This spiritual application is difficult: most of us want to give after we have received our abundance.
This is most probably due to a lack of faith: we are afraid that after giving away, we may not have the abundance.
2.
We need to earn more and make more money.
In other words, we need to work hard and harder.
Paul taught us this: Be "Not slothful in business.
" (Romans 12:11) Unfortunately, many of us want to get something for nothing, while some of us want to cut corners to get our abundance without the hard work.
3.
We need to save, and spend less than we earn.
With the contemporary culture focusing on material things, it is difficult to have restrain and self-control when it comes to spending.
Quite often, we even spend the money we don't have to buy the things we don't need.
How can we save? Without saving, getting the abundance is the tallest order.
4.
We need to focus our fiscal energy on God first, because God owns it all.
In other words, we need to put God first; we are but a steward of God's money.
Jesus said: "Strive first for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
" (Matthew 6:33) Here is the difficult choice to make: God or abundance? Jesus said: "No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth.
" (Luke 16:13) Now, you can see that to have abundance in life is possible, but never easy.
To have both abundance and spirituality is almost impossible - unless you are living in faith, which is itself the tallest order in life.
The moral lesson is: Approach money as a source of spiritual life.
Don't go out of your way to acquire or accumulate abundance.
Money is all but a myth: it does not create happiness, love, power, security, or self-worth.
If abundance does come your way, use it wisely for your spiritual development.
Share it generously with those who are less fortunate than yourself.
Remember, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
And if you don't receive your abundance, don't lament it; focus on your spirituality instead.