Things Money Can't Buy

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Things Money 
Can(’t) Buy?
I saw an online post entitled, “Things Money Can’t Buy”. It listed several items which are said to be unavailable for purchase using currency. Let’s consider what money can and cannot buy.

Can money buy manners? First, what are manners? That will depend on culture and/or environment. Completely acceptable words or actions in some settings may be a great insult in other situations. For example, it is most welcomed, and even expected, for people to release a loud belch or a smelly back-wind (gas) immediately after a meal while still sitting at the eating area in some cultures. Of course, that is very much frowned upon as extremely poor manners in other cultures.
So, can money buy manners?  There are private prep schools, and finishing schools and also etiquette courses which focus on instruction in manners. Poor people cannot afford these courses and or do not usually seek to purchase such non-essentials. However, those with expendable incomes do, in a sense, buy manners through use of such luxuries.  Some, not only those who are wealthy, do pay a great deal of money to learn how to exhibit well-mannered behavior.

Can money buy morals? Well, money does buy buy respect, trust, and even the illusion of a concept of right or wrong, which is a primary definition of morals. In fact, people’s morals and personal value systems can change very quickly if the price is right. A person may not be able to pay to gain morals for themselves. Still, in the sense that morals can change when money is involved, morals are bought routinely most everywhere.

When someone or some organization gives a person who is in need enough money to resolve their financial problems, the recipient tends to trust and respect the giver. Very often he or she becomes beholding to them and comes to think of them as caring and benevolent. Even when the provider’s motives may be anything but kindness or generosity (often the objective is to gain control), the benefactor cannot see that and will not believe anything different from his trust and respect for the one who helped him or her personally.

As for patience, class, integrity, character, and common sense, and depending on how one defines those terms, money may not be able to purchase those qualities directly. Nevertheless, money can surely present an image of those traits. It happens all the time. Individuals as well as corporations who have mega bucks spin the media and utilize word of mouth quite effectively to create just the perfect façade they want while stealing from and harming communities.
They push their destructive products in a way that they appear to be of high class and cause the potential buyer to believe the seller seeks only the best for him. Their advertisements make the viewer/hearer to feel the company has great integrity, character, and good, home-style common sense. Because of their great funds, they hire the best ad agents, artists, actors and airtime slots to influence consumers that the product they sell is the best deal, safe, and actually needed.

Surely money can’t buy love, right? Most of us have heard throughout American society that, “money can’t buy love”. There are many songs with that phrase either as a title or theme. If money can buy trust and respect, which can become admiration and even worship, it can indirectly buy love as well. Quite often, that’s what organized entities, such as secular (companies) and religious business (like churches), are really all about—gaining affection (love) to get control.

People tend to look up to prophets, prophetess’, deacons, elders, priests, preachers, teachers, and pastors, especially if they have even a little piece of money.
So, there’s no need to either feel sorry for or superior to the wealthy by reciting “money can’t buy…”. Go ahead and say it, if it makes you feel better, but money can buy most everything in one way or another. 

 Perhaps that's why the Bible says, “…the love of money is the root of all evil…” (from 1 Timothy 6:10). Generally, people will do almost anything for the POWER money affords.

The same principle applies to similar ideas about money: Some say money can buy a house, but not a home… a bed, but not sleep… a clock, but not time… a book, but not knowledge… food, but not an appetite…

 
Really? 
With enough connection—which money does buy, one could procure substances for sleep, the best doctors who could prescribe the most potent medications to extend life itself as well as the quality of life. One can buy knowledge from formal education as well as through life experiences such as travel. There are natural herbs and also chemicals which increase the appetite. Money may not buy a “home” as in a loving, united family unit, but it does keep families physically together and off the streets. Love, alone, can’t do that.

If you look carefully and consider honestly, you may be able to see that, at least for some people, the “money can’t buy” slogan is a lot like “sour grapes”. That’s when a person can’t have the delicious-looking grapes which belong to someone else so the person says of the grapes, “they're sour anyway”. 

Many people, even some who profess to be un-worldly or heaven-minded, really want large amounts of money, but feel it’s beyond their reach. They recite such common sayings as, “yeah, but money can’t buy…” to console themselves in their low to moderate financial life conditions.

Denial of the value and benefit of money is counterproductive. Only when Believers acknowledge the lure of temporal money of this existence, can we begin to renounce it in favor of eternal life with Christ. How can we lose our lives to find life (Matthew 16:25, Luke 9:24), if we are constantly “chasing paper” or longing for wealth—even secretly?

Do you have a price? 
 Can money buy your morals? 
 What’s the cost?
 What's the potential loss?

 

 

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