For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. (1 Timothy 6:10)

Have you ever been frustrated seeing a post make thousands of dollars when your own barely passed the $1.00 mark?

It’s easy to quickly become jealous when your content is not receiving the attention you feel it warrants.

Let me ask you this: “What is your true motivation for being on this site?”

I’m guessing the draw of money would be the answer for 99.9% of us…

Money is not inherently good or evil. It is simply a tool used to accomplish a goal or desire. It doesn’t choose to save starving children any more than it chooses to fund terrorist attacks. The only difference is the objective of the person behind the money.

The problem comes when you begin to value money more than relationships or your own morals. The love of money is what caused Bernie Madoff to set up pyramid schemes to steal money from investors. The same greed causes children to be forced into slavery and exploited.

We have all heard that “Money can’t buy you happiness,” but I think this is misleading. I prefer my own twist as “Money can’t create long term happiness.” Most people don’t take either of these statements to heart. They feel that for money will fill a void, but the void gets larger as you climb each rung of the wealth ladder and are never completely satisfied. Solely chasing after money is a fruitless endeavor.

I am not saying that you cannot purchase things that can make you happy, but that happiness is not going to last. It’s no coincidence that many people with incredible amounts of wealth turn to drugs and alcohol. They thought that monetary success would take them where they wanted to be, when in reality, it was false hope.

Wealthy people struggle with their own unique set of issues. They have difficulty knowing who their friends really are and often become targets for con artists.

Some of the happiest people I have met in my life are those who see money as a necessity to live, but not the ultimate goal.

Generosity often goes along with happiness. I’d like to compare two very successful businessmen, Bill Gates and Floyd Mayweather. Both have large sums of money, but exhibit opposite ways of how they handle their wealth…

Bill Gates built his wealth from Microsoft and is valued at over 80 billion dollars. He is also one of the most charitable people in the world. He is dedicated to giving his money to people and organizations in need. He has even gone on to say that instead of leaving his children incredible wealth, he plans to leave them only a small amount. When asked why, he said he didn’t think it would be good for them.

Floyd Mayweather, in contrast, has built his wealth inside the boxing ring and through his own promotions. I’m sure both Floyd and Bill live in nice houses and don’t worry about living paycheck to paycheck. Floyd is known for his Instagram pictures posing with money and spending small fortunes on cars, watches and other luxury goods.

Discipline and discernment are needed when you have such an incredible amount of money. In fact, both are needed with less money too. As soon as we move beyond essential need, what we do with our "disposable" income gives evidence of our true character. Some things we consider "needs" may not truly be genuine needs. Sharing some of what you use to fund things like this may involve making some sacrifice, but it worth it. For example, giving up coffee for a month to help provide clean water to impoverished people is such a sacrifice. Investing in people, who are eternal, rather than temporary pleasures can be a much better source of resources.

I’m not suggesting that you should not to use your money for enjoyment. Everyone has hobbies and passions that require money including attending sporting events, buying the newest electronic device, or fixing up old cars. The problem comes when the money needed to fund the things becomes your obsession.

When people speak at my funeral, I would be much happier knowing that I used my money to make an impact on the world that will last far beyond my life. I think Bill Gates represents how I wish to be remembered far better than Floyd Mayweather. I find I am happiest when I am able to give my time and money to others. (One of the many reasons I love steemit so much).

I urge you to think about your funeral today and how you have managed your money. What will people say about you when you leave this world?

“He who dies with the most toys is still dead.”

In simplest terms, this means that hoarding wealth and material goods doesn’t prevent you from dying. We all die one day and it is our choice today what we do with our money as well as our time and other resources.

This brings up the bigger question of what is the life we live meant to be for? How will people view our management of money?

I know how I want to be remembered, but now it is time for you to do some soul searching and answer this final question…

“Do I control my money, or does my money control me?”