Continuing from my last blog titled “Purpose… purpose… purpose”, this is the continuation of the reasons as to why “Pay Package” is not so important in God’s economy.
2. Monetary gain should NEVER be the “primary motive” behind work:
We are all driven by something in life!
On a monday morning, if you go to Mount Road in the city of Chennai, India (where I live) and stand near the LIC office bus stop you will find motorists, cyclists and pedestrians walking in a frantic pace going somewhere… what is DRIVING each one of them?… what makes them wake up in the morning, get ready and go to their businesses, offices and other workspots?
Human beings are always driven by something. Some of them need to keep their job just to make ends meet. For some, it is their pride. For some its a matter of doing something and not being idle. But there is one thing in common between most of them… that is MONEY!! They say, “I need to earn to keep my family running, to keep my life going, to wear good clothes, to enjoy life, to build a future, to eat my next meal… I need money!”
Thats right, we all need money. No doubts. Without money I may not have the laptop and the internet connection that I am using to type this blog. I need to pay my electricity bill to keep this laptop charged. We all need money. No doubts.
But here is the BIG question. Should MONEY be the DRIVING FORCE behing your life.
The bible says in the book of 1Timothy 6:10, “The LOVE of money is the ROOT of all evil”.
The first time I read it, I thought, “Oh my word! Money is the ROOT of all evil”. But then I had to re-read it and I realised that it says the LOVE OF MONEY is the ROOT of all evil and so, MONEY IS NOT THE ROOT of all evil. There is a world of difference between the two statements. Money is important but it can never be the thing which you LOVE.
I also like this saying “LOVE God and USE Money… instead, many of us LOVE Money and USE God”. This is so true. Today we live in a society that teaches us and trains us to LOVE money. We are taught right from our childhood to do every thing based on money.
While money is important, it cannot be on TOP of the list of things for which you live life. Life is bigger than that. Life is more meaningful than that. Life is more precious than that.
So, coming back to work, MONEY CANNOT be the DRIVING force or the PRIMARY MOTIVE behind why we go to work.
Some of the effects of money being the primary motive for life and work are:
1. When you work for money, you will do ANYTHING for money, which compromises on your character. That is why even good people lie, cheat, get corrupt, do dirty things, gossip, back stab, stoop down to low levels, etc.,
2. When you work for money, you will not have LOVE operating in you.
3. When you work for money, your eyes will be blinded to the trap that is set against you.
4. When you work for money, you will never be content because, money is just a number and you can keep adding more decimal points to it!!
5. When you work for money, you will make the MAN who pays you, as your source. You become his slave. (the word ‘Man’ also means the ‘woman’ or ‘company’)
6. When you work for money, you will do things even if you dont like them. You become slave to the system.
7. When you work for money, you will not take risk. No risk, No reward. So you remain small. Smaller than your real potential.
8. When you work for money, you stop dreaming big, because your dreams are limited by the money you want to make and not the goal that is in front of you.
9. When you work for money, you stop giving. And you start hoarding. So you stop sowing. If you dont sow, you wont reap. So your harvest will keep reducing. It is a negative spiral. Because you did not sow, you did not reap. Because you did not reap, you had nothing to sow. And finally you will go hungry.
10. When you work for money, you have no space for God. He cannot guide you and lead you since you are driven by another force that is occupying all of your mind, will and emotion.
Then what should be the driving force? What should be the primary motive behind work?
Lets see in the next blog.
