Spam

The spam I receive in my Google mail makes me cringe, just from the titles alone. Of course I delete them without wasting any time reading their contents, but generally I can see 3 categories of spam:

- sex
- money
- health

If you strip these spam further to the basics, the motivation is simply this: money. Everyone is trying to sell you something that purportedly makes you happier either in your sex life, in health, or in your finances, and is doing so because it brings them more bucks.

A few years back, a friend approached me to discuss some "investment opportunities". Turned out that when I gave him 10 mins (actually 5 mins but I politely heard him out for another 5), he wanted me to buy some insurance policies from him. Another friend also approached me a couple of years back to discuss some quick and easy way of making money from the Internet. He thought my IT savviness would make me a great partner in (what else but) an Internet business. When I was drawing a sizable pay package, a friend used to approach me to discuss wealth management, until I left my well-paying job to work in a voluntary welfare organization (VWO), upon which there is no more substantial wealth to attract his interest. The popularity of using eBay to make a living is evident in the form of community centre courses and books teaching people to do just that. Even my own brother offered to pay me to provide his company regular IT support (to which I turned down and insisted that I will help without any consideration in return).

Money seems to be the number 1 preoccupation and motivation in this world. No wonder the Bible makes it clear that we need to choose between serving God or money.

Matthew 6:24 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."

The pragmatist will ask, "So without money, how are you going to survive?"

The key point, my friend, is not about not making money, but not worshipping money. We worship money if we put a price tag to everything, especially time which our God graciously gives us and who doesn't charge us a single cent for it. On the other hand, if our focus is on God, to whom all things on this earth belong, and who will provide for all that we need, why should money ever come into the picture? Money, afterall, doesn't satisfy your hunger; food does. It doesn't quench your thirst; water does. Money doesn't refresh you; sleep does.

Matthew 6:33 says But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

This is what sets someone who worships God apart from others who worship mammon.

May God bless you,

Thomas