by Evan Mehlenbacher
Does a fast food cashier earning $14,000 a year have as much worth as a software programmer earning $150,000? In light of the huge disparities that exist between high and low earners these days, it’s a healthy question to ask. When pressed, most people would agree that the fast food worker and the programmer are equally important human beings, but sometimes we lose sight of this basic premise.
I believe the worth of a person can’t be measured materially, in terms of salary, position or prestige. It’s spirituality lived and expressed that gives life meaning and purpose. And any of us can have a spiritually rich life regardless of how much money we earn.
For example, recently, my teenage daughter had a birthday, and wanted to have several friends over to hang-out for the day-not for a party, but for a get-together. I wanted to help make the day special, so I made a unique cherry and chocolate chip cake with real whipping cream on top garnished with chocolate covered maraschino cherries. It looked yummy if I may say so myself! When I put it on the table and everyone’s faces lit up, including my daughter’s, I was thrilled. I thought, “All the work I put into making that dessert was worth it!”
No amount of money could have bought the joy I felt. It was a spiritual experience of giving and receiving love that left a positive impression. And this is what I mean by worth that transcends dollars and cents. If we believe our worth is measured by the amount of money we make, we might get depressed if we earn less than others. But if we measure our worth by the love we live, there are no limits to how rich we can feel.
Now, I know many people get really happy when they make a lot of money. A windfall profit comes in and they declare, “The work I put into that job was worth it!” But I also know many successful people who have said that it’s not the money that motivates them, but the challenge, the opportunities, and the mountains they get to climb. A large income may be the effect of the particular profession they are in, but finding solutions to problems and conquering obstacles to progress is the primary joy they cherish.
When I see athletes earn tens of millions of dollars-mostly because of the huge price media pays to cover them-and missionary workers living on a pittance pouring their heart and soul into saving babies and children from death on the street, I think the world has yet to properly place value. So, I figure, we need to know ourselves what has true worth in the meantime so as to keep our individual sanity about the subject and to find our needs met.
I find inspiration in knowing that Jesus Christ did not draw any salary, yet he always had money to pay his bills. His understanding that divine Love meets all needs manifested itself as a ministry with sufficient funds. He understood the worth of what he was doing, and that understanding was blessed with supply. As we understand the spiritual worth of what we’re doing, our work will be blessed with supply, too.
Because the media constantly barrages us with information about what other workers earn, I find it helpful to stay alert to our true worth, especially if our pay is on the low end of the income scale. If we get sucked into the woe-me thinking of, “Everyone earns more than me,” we might not feel as wealthy as we ought to. We can counter unnecessary material comparisons with the spiritual truth that God has endowed us with a life full of love-giving, caring, sharing, and receiving. It’s the spirituality we embrace and express each day that makes life enjoyable.
Yes, we all need money to pay bills. And we typically have to work to earn an income, but understanding our spiritual worth helps to keep our priorities straight while we fulfill our responsibilities. In the end, it’s not the money that will mean the most, but the love we felt along the way. Like the simple experience with my daughter, the love shared and received was very special and ranked high on my list of things that had worth and are to be desired.
Paul wrote, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Godliness is the spiritual qualities of Love we radiate and embody while living true to our spiritual selfhood. Joy not derived from a material thing, peace of mind that rests in Love, blessings that come from giving unselfishly, the ability to give without restraint, and feeling close to God are riches and wealth. They have huge worth, and lead to a life well lived.
We each have our own roster of things that mean most to us. Hopefully, something spiritual tops our list. Money, things, and even people come and go, but the riches of Love are forever and they are the things that I believe have the greatest worth of all.
What tops your list of things worth having?
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It is wrong to equate worth with money. If that computer programmer gets hungry he needs that fast food cashier to deliver the goods. And if that fast food cashier did not go out and buy computer games, the programmer wouldn’t make any money. We are all valuable to one another other.
Do you think very many people think that you are what you make? I just think it’s so unfair that a policeman who risks his/her life earns so much less than someone who isn’t really doing all that much for ssociety like a professional athlete. What can we do to help level the playing field???
I just wanted to say a sincere thank you for the best blog I have read here so far.
Thank you, Evan, for this great blog. It really hit me, as I have been struggling with the issue in terms of income. My husband has lost his job a while ago (due to a business failure), which he has not recoved from yet. I am supporting the family (I have a M.B.A. and a stable job so far). Then, one of his parents recently got more needy, in terms of the medical attention she needs. She requires that my husband to be taking care of her when her ailments need some attention.
This has all left me feel alone (we do not have children) in our marriage and, honestly, and a bit like a victim. I am afraid of my husband getting used to this picture of me providing for the family, while he is busy taking care of other things. This has been going on for a few years.
Recently, I started getting really frustrated to the point that I feel resentful. He does some temporary jobs, but the overall working condition is bad, and he does not practically bring any income to the household. I feel disappointed and discouraged, to the point where I feel trapped by his predicament. I want him to regain his confidence, but … I am afraid of seeing my husband getting increasing “numb” about the situation and not really taking initiatives any more. While I do have capability to provide (e.g., paying the bills), I do believe that he ought to take a fair responsibility as a husband. Yet, nothing has been happening…. Any thoughts?
To Samantha,
One of the great assets of a healthy marriage is the ability to talk openly, freely, compassionately, patiently, and with understanding to one’s spouse. I’m guessing, from what you wrote, that the greater need here is not so much getting your husband to do something, as to be able to talk with him about your thoughts and concerns and not fear negative consequences. If two people share deep concerns with mutual consideration, love and understanding, tough issues can be worked out in peace and harmony. I’d suggest making this your first prayer, to see how you can tell him what you said above. Pray for a Christ-like way to talk with him. Take any negativity out of your thinking, any critical attitude, any self-righteousness, any animosity or resentment. Get rid of those for they are destructive. And share your concerns with respect, open-mindedness and a listening attitude to his point of view. Working in love, some type of mutual understanding will develop.
Hope that helps!
To Maika,
I don’t like to judge people’s worth, even to the extent of comparing an athlete’s worth to a policeman’s. If I judge, I get judged back, and that’s not cool!
But there is a valid point to consider at the root of you plea. Right now, worth is often judged by how much money one can bring in. For example, sports are high draws on TV, and enable large sums to be paid to those that draw the audience. As society values other types of activities more than these, then the dollars shift in that direction. So, I suppose the answer to your question, “How do we level the playing field?” is, that as society puts higher worth on different activities, the dollars are going to flow in that direction. And a large part of this change in direction will be valuing worth, not according to popularity and media draw, but by spiritual good accomplished.
Thank you very much, Evan, for your reply. Yes, I will first spend some time praying, to improve the quality of my thought. I feel that I have actually quite a bit of “sorting out” to do before I talk to my husband… as I have acted to him, out of frustration, and it has been quite some time since I started doing that. What you wrote was a rather simple yet very fundamental reminder about what is entailed in a “healthy” marriage. Maybe, I had placed much emphasis on financial stability, a husband’s role, etc, rather than the “sweet amenity of love” to be expressed between us. I also feel that, as a spouse, I should be and want to be his #1 witness to behold his worth, as God sees in him, every day.
Thanks for writing me back!
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