Bill Collier- The old line reads, “money can’t buy you happiness”, but like “money is the root of all evil” (hint: it’s the LOVE of money that’s the root of all evil), this may be a bit off the mark. But it’s not what you think.
First, let’s stipulate that happiness isn’t dependent on money. You can be happy even if you are quite poor. Being rich and being happy isn’t automatic, but neither is being poor in any way connected to happiness. Happiness can transcend money.
Ecclesiastes 10:9 says, “A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” And Ecclesiastes 7:12 reads, “For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.”
This depiction of the value of money isn’t so dismissive, now is it?
The question is, “can money buy you happiness?”
Nothing by itself, other than the love of God, cam guy you happiness. Not even the love of God can buy someone happiness if they reject it or don’t walk in it. Many people who know of and believe in their intellect about God’s love don’t walk in it.
Money can buy you happiness, but it’s more complicated than that. It’s not the money that buys you happiness.
I’ve been poor and well off, and I can tell you, I didn’t like poverty. But I’ve been well off and happy more than I’ve been poor and been happy!
For me, the key secret about how money is a defense and how money amswers all things, as well as how money can, albeit indirectly, “buy happiness”, is how you spend the money.
While having money to pay for things you need and want, within reason, can be good, simply buying things hasn’t really led to happiness for me. For me, money buys me happiness when I invest it in people, whether they show me appreciation or loyalty in return isn’t so much the reason I am happy.
Sowing into people’s lives or even employing people who are good, solid people with or without money, is immensely satisfying. The giver truly gains! I have seen how giving someone an opportunity to make decent money when they deserve a break can transform their lives, and being a part of that truly causes happiness.
I have also been gifted money at the right time. This didn’t just bring me relief because I had less stress, it touched my soul that someone cared enough for me to help me in this way.
The idea that money can’t buy you happiness isn’t rooted in the Bible or in life’s reality. It cannot buy you happiness by itself, certainly not if wisdom isn’t applied to how you use it. Being rich or poor aren’t themselves the sole factor here. I have had happiness when I was poor and when I was well off.
I suspect this notion “money can’t buy you happiness” may rank up there with “money is the root of all evil” or something like “smart people don’t have common sense.” When people stop striving for better, they tend to justify why the “better” thing isn’t really valuable at all. This is abject surrender, apathy about your plight.
I’d be hesitant to say outright that money can buy you happiness, but I would say that how you use money can cause happiness.
I definitely seek more wealth and prosperity. I seek this because money is a defense in times of crisis, it is a way to answer all things so I don’t have to fall under the influence or control of others, and, it is a wat of investing in people in order to experience the happiness that comes from transforming lives and seeing others reach their potential.
If you want money to consume it for purely material things, well, getting a lot of things won’t make you happy. I have things, things I like, especially relics of history, including some classic cars. But while I enjoy these things, I have been known to give them away when someone really needed them or when I realized they may never get anything like that but I could get another.
Things I hold I only feel are temporary. They are nice and enjoyable, but not essential. And what I do spend on things doesn’t come close to what I spend on people. This has always been more important to me.
Relationships are the brass ring of this life, other than loving God and walking in His love. Having money so you can invest in people and having money so you can be independent and be prepared are all ways how you spend money can lead to happiness.
Do not eschew getting money, do not think being poor is essential to happiness or being rich leads to unhappiness. Being well off, I am not rich, has only made me happy when I used wisdom in how money is a defense and answers all things and in how I invested in people.
I would certainly like to to have hundreds of millions of dollars, but well over 99% would be invested in ambitions to provide things that liberate and enrich millions of other people. My desire is to increase my care for others because, aside from God and my closets family and friends, nothing brings me more happiness.
Don’t be so quick to say money can’t buy you happiness. This may be a cop-out for not striving to value yourself more justly or to work harder and smarter to grow your income potential. Chances are, you deserve more and if you used wisdom and hard work, you would have more.
