Can You Be Too Successful?
I'm working my way through Proverbs. Here's something that struck me from Proverbs 15:16-17:
When I thought about this, it struck me that sometimes we can too successful at our work. The rewards of work include - of course - money. Being too successful at earning money - if you're not careful - can lead to all sorts of trouble, especially if that money pulls us away from God.
Money isn't bad in and of itself; love of money, though, is bad.
I know a successful man who makes a very good living. He makes a point of always setting aside a certain amount of his earnings for charity. With the rest, he supports his wife and children. Even though his job requires a lot of his time, he makes it his business to be with his family whenever possible.
I know another man who makes an equally good living. He owns fancy cars, always tries to impress others by spending lavishly. He's rarely home.
The first guy also spends time with the Lord. He takes the time each day to read Scripture, some spiritual works, and gets to daily Mass whenever possible. He's not perfect, but he carries himself in a way that you might expect from a good Catholic.
The second guy calls himself a Catholic, but you'd never know it unless you asked him and he told you.
The first guy has a large family and, in spite of the money he makes, can't always have everything he wants. Sometimes he even has to eat modest meals and go on modest vacations so that he can live within a budget so that he can use his money to perform charitable works. By the way, you'd have no way of knowing he's as generous as he is. He gives quietly.
The second guy goes on fancy vacations and only gives money to charity when he can make a splash. It always seems like he calculates what's in it for him when he gives to a charity. He's looking for connections he can make. He seeks acknowledgment of his generosity.
The first guy virtually never speaks uncharitably of anyone. The second guy not only speak uncharitably a lot of the time, but I've heard him absolutely trash someone's reputation. You feel as if he even hates the person he's trashing.
Most of us would probably describe each of these guys as successful if we considered only how much money they make. But the second guy might be too successful for his own good. Instead of growing closer to God, being a good family man, being generous to those in need, his treasure brings trouble to his soul, his family and those around him.
I hope the money he gives away does some good. And I hope someday he realizes that success has gone to his head.
Better is a little with fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
When I thought about this, it struck me that sometimes we can too successful at our work. The rewards of work include - of course - money. Being too successful at earning money - if you're not careful - can lead to all sorts of trouble, especially if that money pulls us away from God.
Money isn't bad in and of itself; love of money, though, is bad.
I know a successful man who makes a very good living. He makes a point of always setting aside a certain amount of his earnings for charity. With the rest, he supports his wife and children. Even though his job requires a lot of his time, he makes it his business to be with his family whenever possible.
I know another man who makes an equally good living. He owns fancy cars, always tries to impress others by spending lavishly. He's rarely home.
The first guy also spends time with the Lord. He takes the time each day to read Scripture, some spiritual works, and gets to daily Mass whenever possible. He's not perfect, but he carries himself in a way that you might expect from a good Catholic.
The second guy calls himself a Catholic, but you'd never know it unless you asked him and he told you.
The first guy has a large family and, in spite of the money he makes, can't always have everything he wants. Sometimes he even has to eat modest meals and go on modest vacations so that he can live within a budget so that he can use his money to perform charitable works. By the way, you'd have no way of knowing he's as generous as he is. He gives quietly.
The second guy goes on fancy vacations and only gives money to charity when he can make a splash. It always seems like he calculates what's in it for him when he gives to a charity. He's looking for connections he can make. He seeks acknowledgment of his generosity.
The first guy virtually never speaks uncharitably of anyone. The second guy not only speak uncharitably a lot of the time, but I've heard him absolutely trash someone's reputation. You feel as if he even hates the person he's trashing.
Most of us would probably describe each of these guys as successful if we considered only how much money they make. But the second guy might be too successful for his own good. Instead of growing closer to God, being a good family man, being generous to those in need, his treasure brings trouble to his soul, his family and those around him.
I hope the money he gives away does some good. And I hope someday he realizes that success has gone to his head.
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