ever wish you were rich?
WOW...how do you follow up a blog when all your friends write pages in comments? With something shallow and superficial..that's how. So I pose another question: (seeing as how we have pondered singledom enough)Have you ever wished you were rich?
I have. I say this for two reasons. One, becuase there are so many things that I want to do or so many places that I want to visit that it would be convenient to afford it. Two, becuase I don't like working. Simple as that. If I were rich I could pay off all my friends and families debt. I could visit everyone whenever I felt like it. I could eat out and not feel guilty. I could pay for my friends to eat out and not feel guilty.
Let's look at the positive. I am glad that I am not rich becuase I'm positive that I would get way too attached to materialistic needless items like an automatic smoothie maker that also creates the perfect chai latte and magically cleans your kitchen as well...or something of the sort. I would be even more selfish than I am naturally. I would expect people to do things for me. But most of all I would think that I wouldn't need Jesus as much as I really do. I truly believe that he meant what he said about the rich man getting into heaven being as hard as a camel going through the eye of a needle. People who have everything that they think they need/want have little room to admit or understand that they need Jesus. I am simply a weak-willed person and would get swept up in wealth too easily. Praise God for knowing my limitations better than I do.
Okay...so that ended up being not-so-shallow or superficial. What can I say? I'm deeper than I thought.
I have. I say this for two reasons. One, becuase there are so many things that I want to do or so many places that I want to visit that it would be convenient to afford it. Two, becuase I don't like working. Simple as that. If I were rich I could pay off all my friends and families debt. I could visit everyone whenever I felt like it. I could eat out and not feel guilty. I could pay for my friends to eat out and not feel guilty.
Let's look at the positive. I am glad that I am not rich becuase I'm positive that I would get way too attached to materialistic needless items like an automatic smoothie maker that also creates the perfect chai latte and magically cleans your kitchen as well...or something of the sort. I would be even more selfish than I am naturally. I would expect people to do things for me. But most of all I would think that I wouldn't need Jesus as much as I really do. I truly believe that he meant what he said about the rich man getting into heaven being as hard as a camel going through the eye of a needle. People who have everything that they think they need/want have little room to admit or understand that they need Jesus. I am simply a weak-willed person and would get swept up in wealth too easily. Praise God for knowing my limitations better than I do.
Okay...so that ended up being not-so-shallow or superficial. What can I say? I'm deeper than I thought.
posted by Juliet at
11:04 AM
9 Comments:
This is becoming the cool topic blog . . .
Anyway, in something semi-related, I remember back when I was working with a campus ministry, the campus minster oft made the comment, "Just imagine what we could do if we had more money." Now, I understand the well-meaningness (is that even a word) of that comment, but as I pondered it, it occured to me how symbolic it was of how our culture affects the church . . . the reliance on money, which was really to the point you made. Our effectiveness isn't tied to finance.
Sometimes I think it would be really cool to be rich, and sometimes I think it would be the ultimate curse. You see how fame and fortune totally wreck celebrity lives. I've always wondered what I would do if I won the Powerball when it gets up to 200 million dollars. If I didn't work, I would be bored. But the only job I really want to do is campus ministry. And I think that kind of money would really get in the way. With any kind of ministry really. I think if I won the powerball, I would have to keep it a secret somehow. Which is impossible.
We often look at how being rich would solve all of our problems. It's a myth though. It just creates new problems. And ultimately it doesn't lead to the happiness we think it will.
I don't want to be rich. I'll always enjoy imagining it, though. My house on the beach, my jetskis, my new guitars. So yeah, there was a point in there somewhere, but I don't remember it.
By
Unknown, at 4:46 PM
Having lots of money is very seductive, because it makes parts of life easier. Theoretically, you could then use your time for more ministry-related things. But after a few years of being "freed up," I think I'd just fly my jet around and take really cool vacations in tropical wilderness(es). I think it's the whole slippery slope thing, where it's easy to start using money to free up your time and use it for good stuff, but then end up focusing more and more on your own comfort and funness.
The idea of being rich scares me because it would be so easy to get sucked into the "I earned it, I deserve it" mentality. And then I'd get an Audi convertible or something, and it would be all over... Also, the part where people were starving to death while I drove said Audi around would be exceedingly uncool. Hopefully, I would be like Emily and give it all away. You could sponsor THOUSANDS of Compassion children, or maybe all the kids in the Dominican Republic. That part would be awesome.
By
Anonymous, at 12:47 AM
(that was from Sarah)
By
Anonymous, at 12:47 AM
I agree that I would begin entertaining myself to death.
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Juliet, at 7:37 AM
But then coconuts become like money, and thus creating a coconut economy. Then you have those who have coconuts, and those who do not. Then you have a rising of people without coconuts where the people with coconuts get killed and their coconuts are taken by the new government to be distrubuted among all the people. Then those in power start hoarding the coconuts, and so on. So yeah, love of coconuts is the root of all evil.
As for Giligan, check out this article. Then, you can check out my theory
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Unknown, at 3:52 PM
I always tell David that I wish we were rich. . . unfortunately I think the community I live in is getting to me. Everyone with their big, beautiful, homes. Sometimes we drive through some of the exclusive neighborhoods and just sit and dream. And then we drive up to our VERY small house feeling all down . . . we gotta stop doing that . . . it is just too depressing to go home after that : ) But sometimes it just feels like it would be easier if we had more money. And of course I justify the feelings by thinking, if we had a big house we could use it for God and have people over more, etc. I realize that it would just complicate life more, it really wouldn't make anything easier. . . but a girl can dream can't she?
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Jarretts, at 5:27 PM
Because of my upbringing in the Chicago suburbs, I saw luxury and money all around me. There were the few "good" people with money who were generous and kind, but most of the people were mean-spirited and jealous and petty. Then again there were many people without any money who were mean-spirited and jealous and petty. It's not money that does or does not cause evil...it's the love and desire for money that causes evil to dwell within a person. Perhaps it's the desire to control more, own more. Perhaps it's the feeling of entitlement that comes with money. Whatever it is, if money makes you feel as though it is controlling your life and decisions...than you are relying on it too much. Don't feel guilty for what you have, you have been blessed beyond belief. However, if God asked you to give away your new whatever, would you do it? Do you own money or does money own you?
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Juliet, at 11:37 AM
yeah, coconuts would be more fun than cash . . . except that it would be murder carrying them around in a wallet. I'm all about a tropical island though.
Anyway, Ecclesiasties (I know I misspelled that) talks a lot about wealth and such issues. Through much of it, "The Teacher" talks about how meaningless wealth. But he also says a lot about enjoying your possessions and such, for it is your lot in life. So it is a tough rope to walk. So, be content with what you have, and be generous with it. And, if money is causing you trouble, feel free to send it my way. If that helps you out, well, I will be happy to do my part!
By
Unknown, at 4:20 PM
We are rich. We just take it for granted and don't appreciate it.
By
John, at 2:35 PM
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