Love and Money

This last Tuesday I ended up needing to help out my girl a bit on a school assignment. Long story short, I had to read a couple of articles from professional journals for her and write 75 word summaries for each article. I've been accused (by her) of bailing her brothers out too much in their academic endeavors, so I was happy to have the chance to "spread the love."

Anyway, one of the articles I had to read described a research project comparing the way individuals view money to where they find themselves on Maslow's heirarchy of needs. I thought the results were a little surprising. It turns out that the higher you are on Maslow's list, the less importance you place on money. In other words, folks that are at the self-actualization level (or in spiritual terms, folks who have decided to be what God has created them to be) have little need for money. And it's not because they know that God will provide a great car, big house, perfect health and a happy marriage; it's because they know that ultimately, God is enough.

This was a fairly radical concept for me. I guess, like most people, I thought that money could bring you access to those other rungs on Maslow's ladder -- like food and shelter, safety and security, respect from others, friends and family. I also thought maybe money could help you hang on to those things as well.

Turns out that all of the needs we use money to meet are not really needs once your walk with God goes beyond walking and you just "are" with God.

I know I like money as well as the next person. It buys my jeans, puts gas in my van, pays the vet bills, gets my movie tickets and picks up my restaurant tabs. I have health insurance and a retirement account. Things that reinforce the crazy notion that I am in control of my destiny. Because, since I have a retirement fund, of course, I'll live a healthy life and just drop dead from working in my garden at the age of 99. . . because only folks with no retirement end up in nursing homes, right?

Seriously, I've visited enough nursing homes to know that's hogwash.

I have also lived long enough and experienced just a bit to realize that people driving really nice cars and living in really big houses often have really shitty lives to match.

 I've learned that sometimes losing it all lets you know that you really have everything. Because security from money isn't really security and friends that respect you because of your status really aren't the kind of friends that come calling when you find yourself in trouble.

I wish I could say I was so "self-actualized" that money did not even play into my thinking, but that would be a lie. I still have a "need" for really great jeans and gas in my van that only money can bring. But I'm starting to realize that it's not the jeans but the person wearing those great jeans that brings me contentment, and its the people I'm headed to be with and the dog riding shot gun that gives me joy, not the full tank of gas.

I think the Beatles may be right, Love is all you need and the real thing can't be bought with money. My prayer is to someday live that way.