Money is the root of all evil? Not really. It’s actually the love of money that’s the root of all evil. That’s because the saying, which is often misquoted, implies that the one who loves money, loves it more than anything in the world, including his family and self. It implies that the one who loves money will do virtually anything to make more of it, even if it means protecting it with their lives and with the lives of those nearest and dearest to them. So yes, the love of money is not good. However, even if you don’t love it, having it is very useful.

If you have enough money you don’t have to worry about your next meal. You don’t have to worry about how you’re going to pay your bills. You don’t have to worry about your child’s next school fees or your rent cheque, your car payments, your car insurance, your petrol or any repair bills. If you have money none of the above payments will play on your mind, weigh heavily on your shoulders and give you sleepless nights. On the other hand if you don’t love money more than anything or anyone else in your life, then having that money is a blessing from God.

That being said, there are certainly some things that money can’t buy. There’s a saying that ‘money can’t buy you love’. Whilst that saying is very true, although it can’t buy you love it can certainly buy you companionship, which isn’t the same as love. These kinds of people are around you because they think you can give them something. People who really love you, do so regardless of how much cash you have. They love you when you have it but they love you just as much when you don’t.

There are so many things that money can and cannot do. When you are unwell, you don’t have to worry about not having health insurance and if you do have it, your money can ensure you have the best coverage there is. But even if you don’t have health insurance, and for a myriad of reasons many people don’t, you can afford the best medical care in the country. Nevertheless, even with the best medical care in the country, money cannot buy you life. If God wills, no amount of money in the world can save someone from dying or help them live longer than they’re supposed to

Money can give you power. But along with the power that can give you great latitude in your actions that power can also can make you a lot of enemies. Either they envy your money and want it or they envy your power and want that. Either way, you spend your life trying to protect your money from extortionists or from people around you who are highly political.

Money can’t get you a job. Rumours abound all over the world where corrupt people get hired by corrupt companies purely because of how much money they can use to bribe an individual into hiring them. But if you have enough money, you don’t have to bust your gut trying to find a job. But for a good number of people, finding a job is not just about making money. It’s also about having self-esteem and dignity. It’s about not going to an event where people ask you what you do and you say, ‘I’m between jobs’ or ‘freelancing’ or ‘looking for work’. No matter how you spin it, it still means you are unemployed.

Generally speaking, money can’t make you happy. Yes it can be a boost for a short period of time, a bit like a drug where you take something and it perks you up. But as the idea of having money wears off, just like the effects of the ‘perk pill, even if the money is sitting in the bank earning interest, all too soon you begin to feel its effects wear off and something feels wrong again. Something is missing and it isn’t the money.

So, for all those people envying the rich and powerful, it’s so important to remember that sometimes not having money is a blessing. Yes you struggle on a day to day basis but there’s something that it can never replace. A special kind of peace of mind that only those who live day to day can explain. Living the simple life and enjoying the simple pleasures it brings.