Are Your Working for Mammon or God?
Our Lord speaks to all of us who are at work today:
First of all, I think it's fair to say that most of us who work hard each day do, if it's possible, so that we can make more money than we absolutely need to pay for the basics: food, clothing and shelter. We want to earn something more than that, some surplus. (That's what we mean when we say we want to "get ahead.") And if we're prudent with our surplus earnings, we don't spend it all on recreation and "stuff." We want to save some of that surplus to build some wealth in the form of security for ourselves and our families, and possibly extra wealth to help others. These are legitimate reasons to build wealth that don't necessarily spring from any unseemly or evil desires or tendencies.
"Mammon," on the other hand, comes from the Aramaic word that means "riches." Our Lord here refers to riches or wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion. In the Middle Ages, the term "mammon" described covetousness, and was even used as a name for the "devil of covetousness."
With that in mind, ask yourself whether your desire to build wealth, a perfectly natural thing to desire when you make more than you need, ever involves the temptation to covetousness, understood as the desire to possess something, especially something belonging to someone else. Well, does it? Ever?
I've known many people motivated by the desire to possess something - even if it's a higher position in their company - who have perhaps crossed the border from the prudent desire to build wealth to that of covetousness from time to time. And the problem with stepping over that line is that it can be hard to step back - especially if we succeed in acquiring the object of our desire. This tendency to covetousness may only be human nature, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem.
If we recognize the problem, that's a start. But what do we do about it? Surely the answer isn't to limit our earning potential, just so we won't face the temptation of being covetous. In fact, we've already talked about how we're expected to work hard to earn a surplus in order to promote the common good.
Do we simply tell ourselves that we work for the greater glory of God? Perhaps. Maybe that's enough to help you to avoid temptations to covetousness. On the other hand, I know that this hasn't always worked for me. My intention to work for the greater glory of God may be a good and serious one, but - as we all know - the road to Hell if paved with good intentions. And I don't think I'm being negative or overly scrupulous here. Just realistic.
So if you're like me and know that your best intentions may not be enough to keep you from turning your head more to mammon than to God when you work hard each day to "get ahead," what do you do? Fortunately, Our Lord understand all this. So next time, we'll look at what Our Lord Himself tells us to do.
No one can serve two masters; for 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 God and mammon.I suspect we've all heard these words many times, but let's today take a look at His words specifically in light of our work.
First of all, I think it's fair to say that most of us who work hard each day do, if it's possible, so that we can make more money than we absolutely need to pay for the basics: food, clothing and shelter. We want to earn something more than that, some surplus. (That's what we mean when we say we want to "get ahead.") And if we're prudent with our surplus earnings, we don't spend it all on recreation and "stuff." We want to save some of that surplus to build some wealth in the form of security for ourselves and our families, and possibly extra wealth to help others. These are legitimate reasons to build wealth that don't necessarily spring from any unseemly or evil desires or tendencies.
"Mammon," on the other hand, comes from the Aramaic word that means "riches." Our Lord here refers to riches or wealth regarded as an evil influence or false object of worship and devotion. In the Middle Ages, the term "mammon" described covetousness, and was even used as a name for the "devil of covetousness."
With that in mind, ask yourself whether your desire to build wealth, a perfectly natural thing to desire when you make more than you need, ever involves the temptation to covetousness, understood as the desire to possess something, especially something belonging to someone else. Well, does it? Ever?
I've known many people motivated by the desire to possess something - even if it's a higher position in their company - who have perhaps crossed the border from the prudent desire to build wealth to that of covetousness from time to time. And the problem with stepping over that line is that it can be hard to step back - especially if we succeed in acquiring the object of our desire. This tendency to covetousness may only be human nature, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem.
If we recognize the problem, that's a start. But what do we do about it? Surely the answer isn't to limit our earning potential, just so we won't face the temptation of being covetous. In fact, we've already talked about how we're expected to work hard to earn a surplus in order to promote the common good.
Do we simply tell ourselves that we work for the greater glory of God? Perhaps. Maybe that's enough to help you to avoid temptations to covetousness. On the other hand, I know that this hasn't always worked for me. My intention to work for the greater glory of God may be a good and serious one, but - as we all know - the road to Hell if paved with good intentions. And I don't think I'm being negative or overly scrupulous here. Just realistic.
So if you're like me and know that your best intentions may not be enough to keep you from turning your head more to mammon than to God when you work hard each day to "get ahead," what do you do? Fortunately, Our Lord understand all this. So next time, we'll look at what Our Lord Himself tells us to do.
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