This Matter of Money…

There is always before us this matter of money _ and it seems that almost no one ever thought he had enough.

In a letter to a noble lord, Edmund Burke wrote: “We spend our incomes…for a hundred trifles, I know not what…Our expense is almost all for conformity. It is for cake that we run in debt; ’tis not the intellect, not the heart, not beauty, not worship, that costs so much…It is better to go without, than to have them at too great a cost. Let us learn the meaning of economy….” ¹

“Money honestly made and honestly spent,” said another source, “is as nearly the root of all physical comfort as money dishonestly made and dishonestly spent is the root of all evil.” ² “The vices and follies, and sins of men, cost more than everything else.” ³

“It is our duty to make money answer as many noble purposes as possible;” said yet another respected source, “and those duties come under two great heads…to self and family…to God and the world…Certain expenditures that go simply for show, for waste, to make a display beyond one’s neighbors, we recognize as immoderate and wrong…Let money provide for the family what will give it a full, rich, and happy family life, with the best education for children that can be secured…By such uses as these money achieves righteousness…For God will judge us at last by the way we spend our money.” ⁴ Thus some wise men have spoken of money.

The final fact is that debt is a sort of slavery; that meeting obligations is a matter of honor, and that solvency is essential to soundness and self-respect There isn’t much real influence or confidence without solvency and maturity in matters of money. No man, no family, no business, no nation, can be considered safe or sound that does not live within its income and meet its obligations.