Nearer to God or Nearer to Wealth?

Since man, God's greatest creation, was created, he seeks for property, wealth, power and other worldly elements instead of his Creator. It is true that man has his own right to enjoy worldly pleasures, but ignoring the Creator, who gave him life, is undoubtedly an unforgivable crime. Sadly, most of us act so inhumanly, without understanding what our actions will lead to. This short composition will focus on this issue, in somewhat a different sense by considering some basics in the teachings of the Church.

Faith

Many of us acclaim to have great faith in God and proudly present ourselves as traditional Catholics and so on. Yet, many of us neither know what this Faith in God means nor do what God means or do what God wants us to do always. What exactly is faith? Just by contemplating on such simple elements in a spiritual sense will enable us to approach God the way He wants. Faith is the trust we have in someone and having the assurance that such a person will never forsake you. This is just one definition, we all can contemplate in our own way. However, it is very important to know what the opposite of faith is, anxiety.

When someone is anxious he or she has no faith in anything. This sense of anxiety is dangerous for any person. He or she may fall into any sin, in order escape from this void of fear. People worry desperately in life, mostly for matters which are of no use. But, God expects us to not be desparate or worry, no matter what we face in life. This is the Faith, which God expects from each one of us. No matter how many shrines we may visit and participate in hundreds of novenas, prayer meetings, if this nature of Faith is lacking in our system, there is simply no Faith at all and all our actions become meaningless.

Lacking Faith in God, for non-believers lacking Faith in themselves or what they believe will certainly be the root of their downfall. Lacking Faith means lacking Love. People who have no idea of this Faith in God, instead of loving God and His creation, they find ways and means to expand their own glory.

Precious Gift

We tend to forget that this life is a precious gift given to us by our Loving Father in heaven. This life is short and death is a certainty. By forgetting these how can our sinful people ever imagine about life after death, the Kingdom of Heaven and so on? This is why the Church must speak much more on life before death because if any life before death was virtuous in the eyes of God, then certainly there is no reason to worry about death or life afterwards, for God has guaranteed that He has booked us an awesome place in His Kingdom.

We ignorant Christians must enjoy life by practising these simple virtues God has asked us so many times in the Scriptures. Then we can celebrate heaven on Earth itself!

However, what most of us seek as said earlier is self glory through material wealth.

True, one must have some form of wealth and property if we are to exist in this world. Parents have the responsibility of bringing up their children by giving them not only a sound education but also looking into their various needs. So parents need the resources for this. We do have our responsibility and God has not asked us to live a life of torture. Happiness is what God wants of His creation. But that does not mean we should run after wealth, hoarding for us without a concern for our neighbour. This is not what God wants of us, His precious creation.

There are those who fight for wealth; get involved in treacherous deeds - even going to the extreme of murder, just for the sake of some worldly wealth, which has no value in God's domain. People have become climbers in whatever they do. They have lost their human nature and behave worse than wild animals when they strive to satisfy their greed for power.

There is hardly a realisation that sin meets with punishment for the doer someway or other; because any sin knowingly done do not even meet God's forgiveness, especially if it is against our own brothers and sisters.

Yet, after doing all the sins in the world, when terror strikes our lives as a result of our sins, we put the blame on God and clean our hands. Having put the blame on God we move away from repenting for the wrong we did. This is the pure truth which happens in this world.

Why do we sin?

Have we experienced permanent comfort by committing sins? We always carry the guilt of our sin, don't we? It is true we can not be perfect but as Christians let us make a serious attempt to reduce our sins and live a life blessed in the eyes of God, not trying to do better than the other and showing off.

Society has a lot of work to do in the present context of the world, in order to make this world what God expects it to be. Instead of spreading rumours about others, why don't we praise each other, instead of looking for power why don't we work for justice, instead o plotting against our enemies why don't we approach them and reconcile.

Wise words between people can save lives, can prevent wars. Wisdom and understanding when dealing with society will open a bright future for any country.

Yet where are we? Children are taught to have an ambition which leads to competition. Already at a young age their minds are brain washed so that they will one day become the so called business-minded in the society. Their thoughts and actions are programmed to be head-centred and not heart-centred.

Unless, people do not remove that 'money is everything' from their minds, never shall one receive the Graces of God! Live for others, live genuinely, be honest and be another Jesus to all.