Values: Wealth and Insecurity

This Quote from From Baggas Blog.: "Being truly wealthy does not require having many things; rather, it requires having what one longs for. Wealth is not an absolute. It is relative to desire. Every time we yearn for something we cannot afford, we grow poorer, whatever our resources. And every time we feel satisfied with what we have, we can be counted as rich, however little we may actually possess."

~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1754) quoted by Alain deBotton in Status Anxiety

I found this quote remarkedly insightful. My meandering thoughts - are that this so true.

I watched Alain debotton on SBS. And Yes, his hypothesis is correct. We all feel so insecure when we compare ourselves to others in so many way. The attractiveness and charm of their wife, the suburb they live in, the income we summize that they recieve each year, the title on their business card, the number of people now reporting to them, the car they drive.

In our world - the strongest survive, the fittest survive....Win what? Survive what? The 'Up and Out Process'?... Get What? - Respect, Noterity, Fame, Admiration, Wealth, 'Love' ?... But we all feel so insecure. Even Winners do. Everyone is always on 'the edge'. The World's value system. Everyone compares themselves to the Peers or their reference group. This is why Wealth is relative.

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Jesus' value system turns everything on its head. The first shall be last. The peace makers rewarded. The meek blessed. But there is more than this upside down value system than meets the eye...

I think that the Beatitudes which describe Jesus' upside-down value system are all about "being real". Yes "Real People being Real People". People secure in themsleves, crying, mourning, stepping in to mediate a resolution, people who are not aggressive in their pursuit of winning the things of the world. People not too insecure to speak-out about their faith.

Jesus value system means "Real People" are content with themselves, who they are - and what they have got at any given point in time. This means that they are truly free to be themselves - and free from insecurity.

Don't get me wrong. I love success. I want to be successful. But success is not found in competition. Success is found in 'Being the Best That You Can Be' - Not trying to be better than the next guy. Its found not by being a 'try-hard' in a position that you're not cut-out for. Its about being true to yourself. Its about being real. Its about colloborating as part of a mult-disciplined team.

To get a three-dimensional understanding of The Beatitudes - one needs to be couple this teaching with the 'Parable of the Talents' in Matt 24:25.

Jesus Sermon on the Mount is as much about timing as about action, I think so anyway. Real people, taking real action at a time when required. The Parable of the talent is about a persons responsibility to optimise the use of their talents and gifts to find purpose and value, not only for themselves - but to use them for the benefit of others and ultimately for He who gifted us with our talents.

Its a nice situation when you think about it. Find security through desiring to be and being Real. Finding purpose and value in optimising our unique gifts to altruistically and genuinely 'add-value' to those who require our gifts. Things like fame, wealth, status and power while reamining secure in oneself are distrubuted then only 1) if there is a natural requirement for them 'as part of the job', 2) The gifts and talents are being used properly a result of getting both of the variables in this formula right - A) Being Real and True to oneself - and B) optimising the use of your gifts and talents.

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I'm fast coming to the realisation that I have giftings in uniquely specialised areas. These need to be used wisely. I need to realign my desire for places within our organisation because they bring the status, power, income (because they feed my insecurity) to one of desiring to get the most out of what I am designed and built for.

In other words, I need to use my talents wisely - in a way that optimises their inherent value both to me and to my employer. Then I will truly be secure in whom I am, find purpse in what I do and peripheral desires such as wealth or status no longer rate.

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Its late -off to bed. Finally back to Proverbs tommorrow....