“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt 6:24 NKJV)
I was driving down the road the other day listening to sweet music coming out of my car radio. My heart felt peaceful, my mind was clear, and my soul was full of love. Even with all its problems life seemed good. Then the music stopped and the news came on. There was talk of another millionaire celebrity in drug rehab after an incident with the police. There was news on the murder of a poor man whose life was supposed to be changed after winning the lottery. There was even a discussion on how much greed and excess had damaged our world.
Every story seemed to point once again to the old adage that money can’t buy happiness. Hearing them made me think of a documentary I saw many years ago on Mother Teresa’s home for the dying in Calcutta. What struck me the most when I watched it wasn’t the grinding poverty there. It wasn’t the sickness and suffering that the people there were going through. It was rather the peaceful smiles of love, kindness, and happiness that they shared with the Sisters and with each other. These people had nothing. Many were on the verge of death. Yet, they knew the simple truth that so many of us here are still learning: Joy is Free.
The truth is God loves you and wants you to be happy right now. He wants His light to brighten you, His peace to calm you, and His happiness to uplift you. He wants you to fill your life with His love and then share it with the world. He wants you to have joy and to spread joy everyday of your life here. Don’t worship dollar signs and think that money will bring you happiness then. Joy can’t be purchased. It can’t be owned. It can only be chosen and then given freely to others. In the eyes of eternity money is only worthless paper. The only thing that matters is the love within you and the love that you give to the world. Make that your legacy and your life will forever be rich in joy.
Joseph J. Mazzella