Article October 10, 1925 Issue

Function of Money

ERNEST C. MOSES

Many may ask themselves and others: What is the matter with business? What is clogging the wheels of commerce? Some may answer that it is fear; some may say that it is selfishness, or greed, or hard competition, or rivalry. And without doubt, all these transient qualities need to be reckoned with. But there is another error which should be recognized; and that is a wrong sense of money and its relation to business and society, because it is wrong thinking about money which largely obstructs business activities. It is partly because so many make money, rather than service, the object of work and business, because money functions as the master rather than as the servant of humanity, that business is often retarded and industries languish. Said the French philosopher: "If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that it may be said to possess him."

Recognizing these statements as true in regard to the general thought about money, and noting how wrong concepts of its proper function interfere with success in business, may we not briefly note the corrective thinking which Christian Science enables mankind to apply to the problem? Mrs. Eddy speaks of supply and demand as under divine law. Now money is merely a human agency whereby supplies for human existence may be more readily distributed to meet the needs of men, women, and children everywhere.

Speaking of the human situation, Mrs. Eddy writes in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 216), "The law and the gospel,—Christian, civil, and educational means,—manufacture, agriculture, tariff, and revenue subsist on demand and supply, regulated by a government currency, by which each is provided for and maintained." From this we conclude that currency functions as a fluent means for the subsistence of good activities, the way whereby workers and others are provided with "the necessities" and other accessories of mortal existence. But it has also long been thought by many that the possession of money is power; that it enables men and women not only to purchase and enjoy the necessities of life, but to indulge in selfish personal pleasures,—"the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,"—and to satisfy a craving to dominate others. Hence money, wrongly viewed, is one of the gods of mortals. It seems to purchase so much that ministers to self and the pride of appearances, that it is held to be substance; and its possession is more eagerly sought by many than is the understanding of God, divine Mind, which Christian Science teaches is the only real substance.

Because of this false sense, Paul warns all that the covetous sense of money is a "temptation and a snare" which leads to "destruction and perdition." "For," he says, "the love of money is the root of all evil." How true this is found to be on analyzing the evil in which mortals indulge! Thus, "the love of money" includes the love of human power. This is the prostitution of usable money as a goodly symbol for human supply, happiness, protection, and refinements, and the kindly servant of humanity, to an idolatrous power of selfish sense, which may become the master of mortals and the arbiter of their destinies! This wrong sense, then, is wrong thinking about money.

The New Testament refers to money as "filthy lucre." Without doubt this designation arose from the fact that symbols of money have always been more or less materially corrupted in the way referred to. Then, also, the fact that money is often used for vicious purposes may have had some influence in giving it the name quoted; and many to-day carelessly refer to money as "filthy lucre." But, rightly viewed, within the realm of the legitimate and dignified purposes which monies serve as certificates of service, it should not have the quality of lucre, unworthy gain, because often subverted to evil purposes. Fundamentally, money represents values and standards which are wholesome and necessary; and though its use is often perverted, the majority of its functions are normal, wholesome, necessary, and beneficial. Therefore, money may be viewed as a symbol of good, authorized by right laws and held in grateful esteem as it serves universal humanity constantly and beneficially.

Christian Science has been revealed to the world to heal every wrong sense, the false sense of money included. It is healing men everywhere, relieving them of the penalties of idolatry, banishing the anxieties and cares which accompany error, and giving them right dominion over adverse situations as well as over prosperity; and, under the new order, money becomes their helpful servant. Business, relieved of clogging, erroneous thought, goes on harmoniously under the direction of right thinkers. Of men of this class Mrs. Eddy writes on page 2 of her Message to The Mother Church for 1900: "The right thinker works; he gives little time to society manners or matters, and benefits society by his example and usefulness. He takes no time for amusement, ease, frivolity; he earns his money and gives it wisely to the world."

Those who practice this, find happiness in earning money righteously, and giving it wisely. Such surely know something of the true function of money, always keeping it subservient in thought.

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