Be wise: strive for total wealth
When we lack certain things, the joy of living diminishes. In some cases, such a fault greatly distresses us or even incapacitates us. When we are sick, that is, when we lack good health, it is not a happy situation and we do everything possible to regain health. When someone is poor, that is, when he lacks money and material possessions, life is not very pleasant. Such a person cannot live the way he wants or do the things he wants. Poverty oppresses and incapacitates. As individuals and as nations, we all want to distance ourselves from poverty.
Likewise, life is not so full and joyful when we fail to find happiness and fulfillment in relationships and in our work. (By relationships, I mean the relationship with God and with our fellow men). The deep desires we have to commune with deity and to love and be loved by others are emotional needs that we are born with. And so we find that human beings experience need in three identifiable areas. Life requires that we deal with physical, material, and spiritual desires.
The saying, “health is wealth” implies that someone who is in good health can be said to have physical wealth. When a person has a lot of money and material possessions, we describe him as materially rich. Similarly, when someone finds happiness and satisfaction in relationships and in their work, it can be said that they have spiritual wealth. And this brings us to the concept of total wealth. It included all three types of wealth. To have total wealth is to be completely free from physical, material and spiritual lack. This is the holistic model of success. A person is truly wealthy only when he has gained total wealth.
In general, people tend to be primarily concerned with their material well-being. And then they focus on fighting for material wealth. But thanks to American fitness buff Jane Fonda and others like her. They helped popularize the “stay fit” trend. There is now an awareness of the health risks inherent in the sedentary lifestyle engendered by technological advances. These days, being healthy isn’t just about being disease-free. One has to be in good physical shape. Many people are now taking the proactive approach of exercising regularly to maintain good health and stay in shape. Many have realized the need to actively seek physical wealth.
However, acquiring spiritual wealth is a goal that most people cannot be said to strive for. And to think that this should be our first priority. When someone gains spiritual wealth, they are guaranteed that they will also gain material and physical wealth. If you have any reservations about this statement, listen to the wise advice of one of the great spiritual luminaries of the world, Jesus Christ of Nazareth:
“That is why I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds. of the air, they do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you, worrying, can add an hour to their life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? Look how the lilies of the field grow. They do not work or spin. However, I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor dressed like one of them. If this is how God dresses The grass of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will it not dress you much more, men of little faith? So do not worry saying: ‘What shall we eat?’ Or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What will we get dressed?’ For the heathen run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will also be given to you. ” (The Bible, Matthew 6: 25-33).
But what is to be lost if someone chooses not to worry about the pursuit of spiritual wealth? The answer to this question can be found by looking closely at the lives of some prominent people.
When it comes to fame and fortune, very few people can match Michael Jackson. He rose so high like a star that the label, superstar just wasn’t good enough for him. He was nicknamed megastar. Without a doubt, the singer raised fabulous amounts as proceeds from record sales around the world. But despite her phenomenal professional success, she found no happiness and fulfillment in close relationships. His marriage to Priscilla Presley was not a happy one. He was involved in other relationships that ended on a sour and sour note with deals that took place in and out of court. Michael Jackson may have belonged to the rich and famous, but he was certainly not one of the happiest men in the world. Fame and the rich are simply not enough. We need spiritual wealth to guarantee happiness and fulfillment in life.
The late Princess Diana had everything going for her, apparently. He became a member of one of the most loved and respected royal families in the world by marriage. In terms of material wealth and social status, her union with British royalty catapulted her to the top. However, love of God and neighbor, which are indicators of spiritual wealth, was not particularly evident in his private life. In marriage, the closest of human relationships, happiness and fulfillment eluded her. Over time, she went from the position of princess of dreams to the level of adulterous wife. Then she decided to become the girlfriend of a wealthy businessman. We all know the tragic end of his story. He died in a car accident while traveling with his lover.
As monarch of an oil-producing Arab state, the late King Hussein of Jordan enjoyed the wealth and influence that comes with his office. But although all was well materially, he lacked physical wealth. Even America’s best doctors couldn’t save him from the cancer that ended his reign while he was still in his sixties. Money cannot always guarantee good health, much less provide longevity. Only the possession of spiritual wealth will allow us to achieve and maintain happiness, good health and success in life.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool, Jesus confirms that there is a price to pay when we do not make the acquisition of spiritual wealth our first priority (The Bible, Luke 12: 13-21):
“Someone in the crowd said to him:” Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me. “Jesus replied:” Man, who appointed me judge or arbitrator among you? “Then he said to them:” Be careful. ! Be on the alert against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. “
And he told them this parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced a good harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do. barns and I will build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to myself: “You have a lot of good things in store for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and have fun. “
But God said to him: ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded of you. So who will receive what you have prepared for you? So it will be with the one who accumulates things for himself, but is not rich towards God. “
If the reader is still not convinced of the wisdom of striving for spiritual wealth, the statement I am about to quote should settle the matter. It was made by someone who pursued the kind of material and spiritual wealth throughout his life.
Sir John Templeton (1912-2008) was one of America’s most successful financial investors. It is reputed to have created some of the largest and most successful international investment funds in the world. Later, he sold his various Templeton Funds to the Franklin Group for $ 440 million. He then turned to philanthropy full time. He established the John Templeton Foundation through which he donated tens of millions of dollars a year. The money was used to fund work aimed at discovering and promoting scientific knowledge about the spiritual aspect of life. For his many accomplishments, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him Sir John in 1987.
Here’s what this extraordinary individual said that the pursuit of spiritual wealth did to his life: “I am now concentrating on spiritual wealth, and I am busier, more enthusiastic, and more joyful than ever.”
In terms of quality of life, we all want the best for ourselves and total wealth is the best that life has to offer us. Be wise, live for it.