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Often people have trouble attracting money because they unconsciously believe it's evil. You wouldn't want to attract anything you thought was evil, would you? But is money really evil? Ben Witherington writes in his book, Jesus and Money: "Money in itself is just a means of exchange. It is no more inherently evil than any other material thing God created." Actually, the quote about money being evil is a partial one from Paul, not Jesus. Paul wasn't enlightened but wisely warned about the love of money potentially being a problem.I totally agree. Loving money over life itself could take you from the essence of life, not toward it. As I explained in my book, Attract Money Now, the wealthy people I know don't love money. They appreciate it and leverage it, but they're not in love with it. Big difference.What about the story where Jesus said, "A rich man can't get into heaven"?It's a misquote. Jesus said it would be difficult for a rich man to get in, not that he "can't" get in.And why difficult?It's difficult to get through the eye of a needle when you're carrying a lot of stuff.As I've taught, it's fine to have material things — the material is the concrete form of the spiritual — it's just not so fine to be attached to them. If your happiness is dependent on them, then you're missing the miracle of this very moment.What really matters is what is in your heart concerning money. If it's your be-all and end-all, then money is your God and that, from a Jesus/Paul viewpoint, is a no-no. But if money is neutral to you, just a means to an end, then you are probably pure in heart concerning it. Godspeed to you. What I do is appreciate money and use it to express my inspirations and Divinity. Money is just a cool agreed-upon tool to get things done. With it I can help myself, family and friends, and distribute it to causes and people I believe in. I do all that and more. It's about being at peace with money.I love Arnold Patent's quote, in his book, Money:"The sole purpose of money is to express appreciation."When you realize that money is neutral, that you can use it with a heart full of love, and you can be a steward for it to see that the Divine is expressed through you, then you are clear to attract all the money you will allow.Mother Teresa said -"Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God - the rest will be given."What is this "Kingdom of God"?Religious wars have been fought over the answers. For me, it's following your Divine connection; the voice in your heart that whispers what It wants you to do next. When you follow It, you move in the direction of experiencing and creating this Kingdom right here, right now. What's worth remembering is you can't tell what is Divinely guided in another person any more than they can tell what is Divinely guided within you.Jay Leno and his car collection might be Divinely guided. I can't honestly say. Neither can you.Bill Gates and his fortune might be there because he followed Divine guidance. We have no way of knowing.Jimmie Vaughan has 200 guitars. Not inspired collecting? How would you know?Donald Trump might be following his own spiritual path. Who's to say, unless you project your own idea of wealth and spirituality onto him, and then who's to say you're right?You're on an ego trip if you feel you can determine someone's motivation. We have to focus on our own connection and actions and refrain from judgments.Scot Anderson, in his book, God Wants You Rich, says -"What did Jesus say when someone was dumping perfume on His feet that was worth one year's salary — in today's numbers more than $40,000 — and someone said it should be given to the poor? Jesus said, 'The poor you will have with you always'."Anderson goes on to say, "…Get out of your holier-than-thou attitude. Stop judging others and live your own life."That may sound harsh, but maybe it's time to be more direct.Buddha had his own thoughts on money, of course. According to The Buddha's Teachings on Prosperity: At Home, At Work, in the World by Bhikkhu Basnagoda Rahula -"The Buddha never imposed limitations on his lay follower's efforts to be successful; instead, he clearly encouraged them to strive for success. Whether in "trading, cattle farming, archery, government service, or any other profession or industry," a layperson should strive to advance in his or her respective field. Notably, the motivation to achieve success is an important requirement in any person's life — an attitude of "I have a job that's enough for me to live on" has no place in the Buddha's teaching.Next, the Buddha set no limits to a layperson's wealth and never told his prosperous lay followers to stop or slow down. Instead, he unequivocally encouraged them to plan, organize, and even to obtain more…"Buddha encouraged attracting more?Jesus didn't think money was evil? The sole purpose of money is to express appreciation?Pretty eye-opening, isn't it?Given these insights, how do you feel about money now? Whether you think money is spiritual or not doesn't matter when you need it in today's world to survive and thrive. You best make peace with it. If you want to help yourself and others, you best clean up your attitude toward wealth.But how?I've created entire books and courses to help you get clear and then attract money to use for your own Divinely guided actions. Some of them, such as Attract Money Now, are free.Have you read the book? If not, why not? If so, did you apply the seven steps in it? If not, why not? Too many people have shrugged off the pursuit of money saying it was evil or material, or that Jesus or Buddha wouldn't use or acquire or accumulate money today.Come on. Obviously, that's not true. They wouldn't be attached to money, but they'd certainly attract it and leverage it for good.And who's good would they use it for?Their choice.Meaning they wouldn't listen to you, but to their own inner direction. You might not even agree with how they handled their wealth. You might even be surprised and confused by it. You might even think they were greedy.Do you think your opinion would stop them?Hardly.They'd adapt to modern times, too. Do you really think they'd ride in an ox cart today? Not fly in an airplane to get overseas? Not have a bank account — or entrust someone to have one for them? Not do marketing to get the word out? When I wrote my dissertation to earn one of my doctorate degrees, it was on the marketing methods every great religion and metaphysical movement did to attract followers. They all used money and marketing to spread the good word of their ideas. All of them.Apparently their leaders were just fine with money. Let's dig below the surface of all this:Why do you even care what anyone does with their money? Or what Buddha or Jesus thought about wealth?Sometimes people use not having money as an excuse for not following inspirations.I'm sorry, but excuses are no longer allowed.It's time to awaken.You have a job to do here. I don't know what it is. You do. Dr. Kalinda Rose Stevenson, in her very enlightening e-book, "Going Broke With Jesus", says -"When you have money, you have the power to have a greater impact in the world. Most of us are used to playing small roles, partly because we don't have enough money."John Kay, in his book, Obliquity, pointed out that the wealthiest people - from Andrew Carnegie to Bill Gates - achieved their riches through a passion for their work, not because they set materialistic goals. Passion.That's the real ticket to success and the real thing to focus on.Don't let lack of money or time or energy or experience or education stop you. Far too many people with less than you have created their dreams.Focus on your passion.Don't let opinions about what Jesus or Buddha would think or do stop you from following your own inspirations. That's a cop-out.Focus on your passion.Don't let religious bullies or well-meaning interpreters of ancient spiritual literature distort your perception of the world and what's possible for you.Focus on your passion.It's time to act.Will you? Ao Akua, joe PS — Let me be even more in your face: Stop judging people with money and how they use it. How does that serve you, except to make you feel self-righteous? Start attracting money and using it for the good you see will help the most. If you want to make a difference, make a difference. It begins withyou. Will you sit on the sidelines and judge or will you enter the game and be part of the solution? Will you follow your passion or not? The whistle has blown. The game is on. The clock is ticking. Get on the field and play. Now.
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