suggested by The Occasional Editorialist"They say that money can't buy happiness. Do you believe this to be true?"
It is tempting to believe that money can buy happiness or that wealth is a prerequisite to contentment. Our consumerist society encourages this idea with advertising and continual introduction of new products...
Of course it's "natural" or "normal" for people to want things: new things, better things, or unusual things. But when carried too far, this becomes pathological for individuals, society, and the environment. Consumerism gone wild is a manifestation of Greed, one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Sometimes I will say that "money cannot buy happiness, but it will make a very good down payment". But this is also not really true. It is true that one can derive much enjoyment from one's possessions, but things will not "buy" lasting contentment.
True happiness can only be had through relationships; with other people, pets, and most of all with God. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus tells us to build our treasure in heaven, that we cannot serve God and money, and not to worry about material things, rather we are to seek God first.
more links:
The Rich Fool - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lazarus and Dives - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
oremus Bible Browser : Luke 12:16-21
BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup: Luke 16:19-16:31
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