The Love of Money

I must admit.. I always think that I am not a Money person.

And by that I mean.. on my list of important things.. I always think money rank quite low.

For one, I never quite knew how much (or how little, depending on how you look at it) I make when I was working. I know the rough range.. but can never quite remember how much. My ex-boss (or ex-ex-boss, to be precise) has this habit of give us our salary letter at the beginning of each financial year personally. After he handed the letter over, he'd ask us to take a look at the letter and inevitably, he'd ask if we are happy with our increment.

(Which by the way, I always wanted to tell him, is quite a stupid thing to do. I mean, you can only possibly get 2 answers. From most people, it'd be "No". Who would exclaim "Yes! Thank you so much!"? or "Yes! I think I'm so adequately paid.. even to a point of being overpaid!" The only other answer you can get would be from those who are too polite to say "No". Their answer would be "It's okay, I guess". Then they'd regret saying that because they really think otherwise. So, anyways.. as much as I really quite like my ex-boss, this habit of his is really not that.. you know.. bright.)

I usually offer a different answer.

"I don't quite know".

The first time I did that, he was really surprised.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" He asked

"I don't know what's the increment amount. It doesn't say!"

"Huh!?"

Well, that's me. Since I don't remember my salary, I could never answer that question that he asked.

Also, I'm usually quite contented with my salary and never really get excited by chats between colleagues on how much money they made with such and such an investments.. blah blah blah.

To me, investment means buying something and leaving in there. And if by chance I remember it and take a look at it.. (about once a year or so..).. and I realised it has gone up, I'd sometimes sell it. More often that not, I'd just think "Oh good! Wow. Money from the sky!" and then forget about it for another year or two.

Anyway, to many, I may seem naive, even stupid.. and some may even think it's because I've never been in situations of dire needs (which is true but neither have I been in situations of huge excesses). But I've always contented to be as such.. even "proud" of myself for this.

But recently, I think.. Perhaps... I do (gasp) really love Money after all.

The immense insecurity I have towards not working.. Could that partly be because I'm losing a source of stable cash inflows... in other words... Money?

And surely the great sense of frustration and heartache I'm feeling towards the car accident (where I had to fork out a couple of thousand dollars for the damage done to the other party because of an insurance problem)... is because of Money...?

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.."

Matthew 6:24 also says "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

These are wise words indeed.

In this material world of ours.. surely, Money is something important and neccessary.. but surely there are many other things more important in our short life on earth than just Money.