Money, Love, and Parkinson's

OK, I admit it.  I have not been very good about managing my own personal finances.  And I have absolutely no good reason for it.  Recently, however, I've waken up.  I have begun taking some very significant steps toward Being Pragmatic with my own finances.  There are two basic considerations I want to discuss before getting started...the Love of Money, and Parkinson's Second Law. 

I've heard many misquote a passage from the Bible saying, "Money is the root of all evil".  The misquoted passage comes from 1st Timothy, Chapter 6, New Testament, in which Paul wrote, "We brought nothing into this world, and we surely can't carry anything out.  So, having food and clothing, let's be content.  But those who want to be rich, they all into temptation and a trap, and into many foolish and hurtful desires, which drown men in destruction.  For the LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil.  Some people who were greedy about money, have turned away from the Faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 

In this instance, Paul has suggested that it is the LOVE of money being the root of ALL evil.  In my case, I haven't directly loved money.  I've attempted to love what money has bought for me...using borrowed money in many cases (credit card debt).  It being the root of ALL evil indicates to me that this misplaced love is the basis for ALL misery I have brought upon myself and those around me. 

Ecclesiastes (a very Pragmatic book of the Bible by the way) also discusses this specific matter as well.  Chapter 5, Verse 10, Old Testament, reads, "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income."  Were I to have continued on my path, the wisdom handed down to us suggests that I would never be satisfied...never happy. 

In the 20th Century, Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote a humorous essay for The Economist magazine that addressed "Parkinson's Law".  Derived from that law, there is a Parkinson's Second Law, also attributed to Parkinson that states "Expenditures rise to meet income."  In short, with the constant Love of money, it would be impossible to make enough of it to ever be satisfied...happy.  For more on the Love of Money, see the website ChristianPF.com (Christian Personal Finance).  Also, if you are interested in knowing more about what the Bible has to say about money, ChristianPF also has it's 250 Bible Versus About Money.


Perhaps you too have had a love affair with money.  If you have, please consider joining me in Being Pragmatic about your approach to money.  Are you having a love affair with money?  Has it brought you happiness?  Or is there a family out there waiting on you to understand that it is they who are deserving of your love...and they who are there to provide you love in return.