Is Money Evil?
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Written by Jimmie Burroughs – Email this article to a friend
Across the world, five million children, each year, die because of malnutrition . . . Not because there is not enough food, or enough money, but because there are not enough people, who have the resources, willing to stop it.
Is money evil? Not at all . . . The attitude toward money, and how it is used, determines the evil or good of money. While millions starve across the world, there are two extremes prevalent with the use of money:
On one end of the spectrum, there is wild extravagance:
Histories most expensive wedding was that of Princess Salama, wed to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 1981 at the cost $70 million; that would be $100 million in today’s dollars. In large cities like New York, multi-million dollar wedding is common.
In August 2011, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries were married in an estimated $6 million wedding. The couple separated in October after 72 days of marriage.
On the other end of the spectrum there is extreme stinginess:
Hetty Green died at age 81 in New York City. She was the first successful woman on Wall Street; her nickname was the “Witch of Wall Street.” She was listed as the “World’s Greatest Miser” in the Guinness Book of World Records. Estimates of her net worth ranged from $100 million to $200 million (or $1.9 – $3.8 billion in 2006 dollars). If it were $200 million, as her biographer believes, it would have made her the richest woman in the world at the time.
Hetty was so tight that she would not turn the heat on and heated oatmeal on the office radiator rather than using energy to heat water at home. She wore the same clothes and undergarments until they were worn out. Her son broke his leg and Hetty delayed treatment to try to get him into a free treatment hospital for the poor. The lad finally had to have his leg amputated.
A couple was found dead in their apartment. They both had died, according to their autopsies, from severe malnutrition. When authorities searched their home, they discovered several paper bags filled with money; in all, there was some $40,000.00. They had plenty of money to buy food but apparently were too tight to spend it, and instead, they starved themselves to death. That is an example of loving money even more than life.
Some say that money is the root of all evil, but that isn’t correct; the Bible states that it is “The love of money that is the root of all evil,” (1Timothy 6:10). Money of itself is amoral. Money is good to have, especially when it is used wisely with the needs of others in mind. However, both extravagance and stinginess are a selfish misuse of money. While it is a person’s own business as to how they choose to spend their own money, or not to spend it, it is a shame when it is squandered, hoarded, or misused, when there are so many desperate needs across the world.
I have often heard people say, “If I had that much money, I would give it away to help others.” Would they . . . Perhaps, but if they are not willing to help others now, with what they have, I’m not convinced they would if they did have an enormous amount of it.
There are many wealthy people who do help in many ways, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet and many more. However, the wealthy only represent about 2% of the population. It is what the other 98% do to help alleviate hunger and suffering that counts the most.
A well-planned family budget should always include an amount for charity. A good rule of thumb is to give 10% of your wealth to charity and save 10% for yourself and live on the rest. If that is impossible for you at this time, I encourage you to work toward that goal. If more people took helping the less fortunate seriously, there would be far less hunger and suffering in the world.
There are many ways you can help. If you are a member of a church, support needs through your church. There are also many not for profit organizations who are making great strides to help alleviate hunger, supply education, and meet spiritual needs of children around the world. I support “Compassion International”. They have a squeaky-clean reputation for honesty. For around $44 per month, you can help a needy child somewhere to have food on the table, clothes to wear and a chance for an education. You will be told the child’s name you are helping and receive a picture and information about them, and have the opportunity to write to them on occasions if you so desire.
I hope you will take this great need into consideration. Helping just a child or two might seem of little help when the needs are so great, but the life of each and every child is extremely precious and just helping one is of great importance. If a lot of people choose to help, it would mean so much for so many children. I encourage you to start today with “Compassion International”, or the organization of your choice. You and I together can make a difference.
About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who has been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. There are hundreds of articles to help you on this website (Website Contents) in your personal growth.
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