The study of money and our emotional life began in the second part of the 20th century. Giving us much information on the way it affects us. Goldberg and Lewis with money we have security, power, love, and freedom. With money, we decrease uncomfortableness —security. Money adds value, superiority, and control—power. Money gives expression to affection and its alternatives—love. Money gives us the means to achieve what one wants— freedom. Obviously making for a close connection with our emotional life, our mental state and what we do.
Forman divided the pathology of money into five types: Miser—hoards money; spendthrift— compulsive and uncontrollable in their spending; tycoon—totally absorbed with making money; bargain hunters—searching for bargains; gambler—feels exhilarated and optimistic in taking chances. Outside of addictive gamblers and shoppers, the other three are not considered abnormalities.
How does one go about having the right relationship with possessions? We hear often from the Scriptures the vanity of pursuing the material. Jesus tells us we can't serve both possessions and God. There are Christians who speak about the problem with possession and yet are possessed by them.
The Church Father, Clement of Alexandria, has shown us the correct connection with the material. We are not to be wasteful with what we possess. Having material goods is a value, we can do things, of value and work for justice. God made the material for us, so we need to use the material things correctly. The responsibility rests with us.
Material goods make our lives fuller and with greater value. Our faith life tells us where these possessions have come from and how they are to be used. St. Paul tells us "We brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it, but as long as we have food and clothing let us be content with that (Tim. 6:8).
According to St. John Chrysostom the truly rich person is not the one with much but the one who has no avarice and is satisfied with what he possesses and the poor person is not the one who lacks possession but who is full of avarice and not satisfied with what he possesses.
For a person not to fall into the sin of avarice it doesn't mean he is not to desire anything, but a person who is content with what he has. We need to be thankful for what we now have but we can have a desire for more. Granted this is not something easily achieved for most.
Our first Christians showed us this way of life they held everything in common. They did not use the words: mine, my. Consequently, all had enough to eat. They recognized who was the owner of what they had and were not slaves to what they owned.
There is a saying that if we don't have control over money, money will control us. We need training in this in how to share what we have. We need to be in charge and not become the slave of the material.
