On his recent U.S. trip Pope Francis said a lot about money and our economy that I wholeheartedly agree with.
He also said that money is the root of all evil. My first thought was: Uh oh! Does that make financial fitness a sin?
I could immediately see the answer was “Hell naw!” The way I see it, he believes that NOT being financially fit is the sin.
How can I say this?
He said, “money sickens our minds, poisons our thoughts, even poisons our faith, leading us down the path of jealousy, quarrels, suspicion and conflict…” In the end, his point was that the worship of money is where humans have missed the mark.
By our view, the above describes someone who has a poor relationship with money, who doesn’t understand how money works, and thinks that life and happiness is about making the most money at all costs.
That is the total opposite of the financially fit person who knows that money is not a competitive blood sport. A fit person knows how much they need to be satisfied and manages it intelligently without being desperate for more. They understand what money can and cannot provide. A financially fit person prioritizes spending by their values thereby avoiding the trappings of money that the pope describes as evil.
I believe he would encourage us all to be financially fit. Having a handle on our finances leaves room for us to turn our attention outward and concern ourselves with the problems facing humanity like poverty, injustice, and the destruction of the earth.
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