The Phoenix Manifesto (Deluxe)

IV. Money Ain't A Thing

Luke 12:15 - "Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."

Greed can be literally defined as an intense selfish desire for something. The common thought when we think of greed is money. Greed can be applicable to multiple different things other than money, though. A parent can be greedy for his/her time with their kids. An intense desire is something that you almost can not live without and looking at America, we have to consider money. Is money becoming the priority of people now, or is it becoming an excuse for selfish behaviour? Living in a society where money is a necessity for comfortable living, it is very difficult to completely disregard money in our lives. We must have money and have a source of money to live in America. We need money to buy food, support our children, and to fit in everyday society. The fact that we do need money has turned a lot of people cold, as the pursuit of money is the popular trend these days. To be on your "grind" is the cool thing now. For money to be accepted at the forefront of our minds, we have taken a step down. Money does not last, but it is necessary in a world where things run solely on money. We must keep ourselves in check to ensure that we do not turn to money to fulfill all of our needs. Money can easily be placed as an idol in our lives, but it is not to be completely disregarded as unnecessary.

We must first look at people who seemingly have an obsession with money. People who have seen money as a want and as a way to fulfill what they want is how we see this obsession passed down. When these people do get the money they wanted, they put it out there for all to see so you can feel envious toward their success. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your work, but being proud of the money is a different thing. People must use their work as a means to obtain money, but when big money becomes easily accessible because of your work, it is very easy to look at the money as something you did not have before. Money is then seen as a bonus reward for your work. This "bonus reward" soon turns into a way to fulfill all of your worldly wants without considering anyone else. Now you are in a position where you enjoy the money and its benefits, and you want more. Now you have placed yourself in a position where the main focus is money. There are many dangers that can come with an obsession with money. Money can cause you to push away those that matter the most. You will see your family less and less because of this wild pursuit of money. You will relax less and be far more stressed out because you are constantly working to gain money. Your need for social status will increase as your money does, and you will begin to worry about things that do not actually matter. This sounds elementary, but it is true. The love of money shifts your priorities from your family, your vision, future plans, and money is replaced for those wonderful aspirations. You put them off and say "I can only do those when I have the money", but by the time you get the money, your priorities, friends, and vision have all changed. You see the effect of the money as you get it, and it changes the way you see certain things, but especially the way you see your vision. You see the opportunities opening up as you gain this mass wealth of money, and it slowly morphs the vision from being possible without money to being enhanced because of money. Your heart still wants the same, but in a different way. Instead of going to the beach with your wife, you want to have the best beachfront suite, with the best food and the best clothes to make the situation the best that it can be. The focus changes from going on a nice vacation with your wife and that being sufficient, to all of the things that you can have that would make the situation more enjoyable. Nothing is wrong with having these things, but if it is leeching the life and affection out of your marriage because you materially want the best for your family, it is becoming a problem. When the material things absorb your mind and they replace thoughts you had about family and other values, it is becoming a problem. It is very easy to assume that money is completely a bad thing, but this is not true. Money, for some, can be a gateway to serve others in the best ways possible. It can also be a means to provide the best for your family and ensure the best future for your children. Money can have a lot of positive benefits, but it is very easy to let it control your mind and the way you think about and see certain things and situations.