We live in a society that puts so much emphasis on wealth, social class, materialism, technology… and the primary mechanism to obtain any one of those things is M-O-N-E-Y. I probably spend hours everyday thinking about how I can create, find, or obtain more money for my family. Money drives our economy. To me money in itself is a tool. And, the pursuit of wealth is really a pursuit of power, or… the illusion of power. The real price or cost is really spent in the effort/sacrifice it takes to get money.
We see in life that people will do extraordinary things for money. People sell their bodies for it, they risk the lives of their children to get it, and will even kill their friends for it. The Bible has some interesting thoughts regarding money or the love of money. Here are two verses that stand out to me: “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root to all kinds of evil…” (1 Tim. 6:9-10), and “Food is made ready to be enjoyed, wine makes life happy, but money is the answer to everything.” (Eccl. 10:19).
So, is money truly the answer to everything… or do we just think that it’s the answer to everything? (I’m not trying to question or disprove the scripture, as I do believe that money is the answer to obtain everything which is material or earthly) Will money buy you love? Can money buy you happiness? Ok, so those previous questions might have been a little tough to answer so let me pose them in a different way: How much will I have to spend in order to get what I want? How wealthy do I need to be in order to be truly happy?
The cost/price of earthly things (education, clothes, food, living expenses) can be summed up in a dollar amount. But, the cost/price of spiritual things (life, love, joy, happiness, health, wisdom, peace of mind) is determined by your sacrifice, faith, courage, and perseverance or ability to withstand times of struggle.
Life is the ultimate teacher. It’s no wonder the Bible says that, “Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.” (Job 12:12). In time, you will be able to test everything you’ve learned by what you have experienced. I’m almost 40 years old. In my life I have seen friends I went to school with carried away in caskets, I have seen how music lyrics which contain rage and violent words can have a lasting effect on a generation of young adults, and I have learned to expect the unexpected.
I was listening to a preacher on television a few days ago. Out of all of the things he said in his message, there was one statement I remember. He said something like this, “… don’t allow 5 minutes of ignorance to determine your next 20 years of life.” Now, I understood that the preacher was basically saying, don’t have unprotected sex when you are not ready to be a parent….. However, he was also saying something else that could only be discerned by those with understanding.
We all know the price of an education. Parents are paying more for education now more than ever! And, we all know the prices of a home, a car, or baby formula 🙂 . But, what is the price of ignorance? Because ignorance has a price. The words spoken by the preacher really caused me to think about the price of ignorance, and how it corresponds to my value of time. I don’t want my life to be determined by my ignorance or my mistakes… I want my life to be determined by my wisdom and my achievements.
I believe we all make mistakes. Every person who succeeded in something, failed in something else.
Life is happening. Time is running out. There are literally adults running around here, making decisions for me, who are selfish and have no empathy for others who need help. And, people are out here wanting answers to life!
Ignorance to me is consistently or habitually failing to learn from the wisdom of others or from your own mistakes. Don’t be ignorant. Because it’s not just you who will have to pay the price for your ignorance. Just like everyone you love and are associated with will gain from your success…. likewise, they all will also suffer from your ignorance. And, in many cases the price of ignorance costs too much for one generation to pay. As I’m still having to face the repercussions and pay the costs created by years of ignorant American white supremacists and racists in more ways than one. And, how many families are suffering because of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry’s desire to make additive opioid drugs available to anyone who feels depressed.
Be smart. Use wisdom.