Is it Ok for a Christian to want worldly success?

[PrincessPrecious]

I was talking to my husband about this. We are both Christians (Roman Catholic) and he has just got a new job paying a bit more money which we badly need even though we only have one child so far. He was saying about all his plans to get promotion, make money in the future etc and I was thinking, this is great but is it somehow wrong to be thinking about money so much even though we need it as I am a sahm looking after our little baby.

Maybe I just have too much guilt (you know what they say about Catholics :))

Please somebody reassure me!!!

I think there's a difference between being successful at work and providing for your family so that you have a good standard of living and loving money and wealth over everything else. There's no need to live in the wilderness in a camel hair tunic but also there's no need to be dripping in wealth in my opinion. It's about being responsible with the money you earn and how you earn it.
Nothing wrong with a promotion but if it means walking all over your workmates and never seeing your family and friends then is it really worth it?

Perhaps it's about who your god is?

If you still put God first and pray about decisions you are making
If you put your responsibilities second, your spouse and your child(ren)
Then your wider family and close friends
Then you are probably on the right path

But if work comes before God, spouse, child and close friends then there is quite possibly a problem. If making money is more important than how you do it as Morris says.

We have all been given talents by God that we have a responsibility to use, be that the ability to be Prime minister, stay at home mum or a bus driver. They are all roles that Christians can and should do if thats what they are called to.

But when money and power become so important that making more money and becoming more powerful is the aim, not sharing your talents and money with others you should see the warning signs.

Way I stay grounded is to make sure I still pay my tithe and those around me are more important than what's left in my bank account and what 'praise' I have got that day

HTH

Thank you, both of you. We must put God first and pray about decisions. My DH does put his family first and says he wouldn't be interested in promotion and more money if it wasn't for supporting us. Yes he does pay tithe to the Church.

The bible does not say that money is the root of all evil, but that the love of money is. If you put money before God, then it's wrong. And I think there is a lot of space for generosity with money, and the advantages that plenty money can but you.

Give some to charity - perhaps sign up a direct debit so that you can give regularly and perhaps increase the amount you give at Mass It's not how much money you have, it's what you do with it that counts.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. We are not rolling in money by the way :) just a bit better off than we used to be!! The key thing that most of you say is to put God first and use money to help family/others but not love it.

I see nothing wrong with wanting the best for your family, and I am sure that this is what God wants too. What others have said is right. If you focus so much on work and getting more money that you ignore your family, or that you hurt others in the process then this is wrong. LOVE of money is the problem, not money itself.

Of course! I see nothing wrong in being ambitious (if you are - not everybody is) and wanting to reach great heights in your career, or for earning a lot of money. Money's great, the love of it not so great. You know they cast lots for Jesus' tunic after he died? that was because it was a good one of high quality - they wouldn't have cast lots for a normal one.

There are plenty of christians at the very top of their career who are significantly wealthy. Plus you'll naturally want to direct some of the money towards things God is interested to fund. And who's going to tell successful people about God if christians aren't there to tell it? Not that you actually have to preach or evangelise per se but people take note if they know you are christians: to use an old-fashioned phrase, you are a witness. You can pray for them too, whereas if you weren't there you wouldn't know anything aobut their lives or how to pray for them. Everybody needs God, the rich and successful aren't exempt from that.

the church has depended on the givings of the relatively rich the super rich the average and the widows mite

as some one pointed out it is the love of money not money that is evil.

sometimes the church can go the opposite way and think that the slightly richer more middle class people do not need christ or the gospel as much as the poor well without christ mo-one is truly rich

there is a fine balancing point as in every theological ethical debate the extreme views are

1. poverty makes you closer to God, more likely to have treasures in heaven than on earth, not knowing where next meal is coming from forces you to pray out of desparation etc

1. prosperity gospel if you are a good believer and have faith riches will come your way if they don't it is because you lack faith have secret sins etc

neither is true

as the bible says poverty comes with the temptation to steal; wealth with the temptation for pride " every good and perfect gift comes from God"

if DH has ability in terms of brains/ work ethic to climb ladder etc it came from God originally so in everything give thanks and accept the fruits of his efforts,

2 sides "without God we can do nothing" " with God we can do all things"

I'm reading an amazing book about this subject by a chap called Randy Alcorn the book is brilliant and it asks that as you read it you should pray as well, its called Money, Possessions and Eternity. Hope that helps