Money, money, money.
Do you have feelings attached to money? I do. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been afraid of money. I worry I don’t have enough to pay my bills and that I’ll be homeless. I feel guilty when I spend any money on myself, like for clothes, books, or music. I feel embarrassed whenever I have to talk about money with someone because I don’t understand financial things and how it all works.
I like to dream of all that I would do if I won the lottery, like open a family retreat center in Malibu that would be free for all families, but I hardly ever buy tickets.
Money, money, money.
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. James 5:1-3
This Scripture from this coming Sunday’s second Mass reading really struck me. I think James is warning people who are selfishly rich, hoarding all their wealth and never helping others or being so consumed by it they ignore God. It got me thinking, how am I doing that through my fear of money? I think and worry about it too much. I let the fear of not having enough block me from doing things that maybe God wants me to do…maybe He planted that dream of a family retreat center in me.
I want the Holy Spirit to be the only fire in me, not thoughts of money that will, “devour your flesh like a fire”!
May the Holy Spirit burn through whatever holds you back this week!