MONEY AND HAPPINESS

Everyone loves a good cliche but sometimes, they are just a bunch of smart-sounding, unrealistic words. A friend of mine posted just this evening that "money doesn't buy happiness". Of course, Sherina Okoye, with her wahala and 'two left legs' went to point out that money does buy happiness in some cases and what did I get? Well my comment vanished. I think clumsy Facebook must have deleted it all on their own. :)
Anyway, it got me thinking and I decided to put up my thoughts on my own wall where 'Facebook' can't get anywhere near it with the delete button.
I'd always accepted without question, the cliche that money couldn't buy happiness until I came across the case of a ten year old girl suffering continuous abuse at the hands of her father. Shockingly, her mother was content to look the other way because she didn't have money to take the girl out of the abusive home. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case as I have witnessed several others since then.
MONEY IS NEITHER GOOD NOR BAD; WHAT YOU DO WITH IT DETERMINES WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD.
What about the orphans for whom money could provide a chance at an education? Isn't that happiness?
What about the IDPs for whom money could provide cleaner, safer, accommodations? Isn't that happiness?
What about that pregnant woman for whom money could ensure a safe delivery after nine months of carrying another human being around in her body? Isn't that happiness?
What about that young girl who escaped rape because she had her own car instead of getting on a train late after work?
What about that young man for whom money could get a kidney to save his life? Isn't that happiness.
What about the gospel and the challenge tossed down to us to take it to the ends of the earth? Well let me put it this way: if you started trekking to Australia right now to avoid the cost of flying there to preach the gospel, you would probably arrive your destination in time to witness the Second Coming.
God is not glorified by your poverty; neither is the world blessed by your dire straits. Even the pious saints of old like Mother Theresa who adopted an austere lifestyle were not poor; they just chose to spend the wealth they did accumulate on others rather than on themselves.
Jesus himself wasn't poor and in case you think he was, you haven't read your Bible well. He was plucking gold coins from the mouths of fishes and turning water into wine. At age 2, he was already controlling major wealth in precious stones and gems.
So yes, if you need to work your fingers to the bone, do it and when the money comes, feel free to use it to buy someone else's happiness if you think it can't buy yours.
I mean, I don't know about you, but as they say, I had rather cry in a Lamborghini than on a bus!!!

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©2017 by Sherina Okoye