A thirst for success - When is thirsting to be great a sin?

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I’m sure most of everyone who loves Catholic Answers has probably come across this situation or knows someone who has.

I’m a young guy, 25, who finished college full of ideas, wants, desires etc. I was bread to be hungry through internships, and have opportunities to work for successful people. Yet… I feel that while listening to Relevant Radio, listening to homilies at Mass, listening to Fr. Corapi while at work… and it seems that a humble life, or a simple life is a better life.

I’m probably like everyone else, I would love to have a nicer car, or actually own a house, drink a finer wine…etc etc… but you hear those stories about Fr. John Corapi who said “I wanted to be somebody” (and he became a successful businessman- then turned into a drug addict, then became a Catholic Priest - a much cooler story I’m not giving justice to)

I don’t want to be a slave to materialism, but I enjoy nice things. I don’t want to worship objects or put them above God…even though I know that it can happen when a person strives towards having these things…

How does a person balance trying to live a good life for Christ & be successful?

(food for thought) There have been a couple times when I’ve given a dollar when I hardly had any to the Church…and now I give more but a smaller proportion of my income… then there are the Bill Gates and Warren Buffetts who are giving Billions to charity…BILLIONS …wow. I can only imagine how good it would feel to give just thousands to a cause because I can. But I don’t want to loose myself just to gain fame & fortune.

Any thoughts anyone? Thanks
 
Nothing wrong with wanting to have a nice home…nice car…it’s the ***love of ***money that is the root of all evil, not having money, and being successful in corporate America, per se. I think that our society puts too much emphasis on happiness through materialism…if that were the case, we wouldn’t see so many suicides of rich people…drug overdoses, alcoholism…affairs…money can certainly make our lives comfy, but it doesn’t bring peace and happiness.

Good luck to you with your choices…remember to always run every choice before the Lord, and you will never go wrong.😉
 
Ahh, not to worry much lad. Sounds like you got your head on straight !

Perspective is the key.
 
As long as you don’t get attached to any of your possessions, and you are charitable and generous to those in need, you are fine. Remember to help those less fortunate, and be ready to give up everything for the good of your soul if God requires it of you.
 
jmoburg said:
I’m sure most of everyone who loves Catholic Answers has probably come across this situation or knows someone who has.
Any thoughts anyone? Thanks
Click to expand...
If you desire glory then the petty is the enemy of the great.

If you are reasonably intelligent then you can have middling to average sort of wife, car, mortgage. But you have to put almost all of your effort into keeping that middle-class job.

On the other hand you can possibly make a serious amount of money, but only if you are prepared to go out on your own. Even then you are unlikely to be anything other than a small businessman, but it might be a nice house with mortgage paid off. However you’ve got to reject the security of the day job to do it.

If you want a bigger measure of glory, say as a pop star or a politiican, you really have to devote your life to the cause. It can be done, but it requires single-minded devotion.

Fianlly if your ambitions are spiritual rather than material, it is the same story, but magnified many fold, because if the ambition is spiritual there is no part of your life that can remain untouched by it. However it is a lot better to desire to be a great saint than to focus on those accountancy exams.
 
jmoburg said:
I’m a young guy, 25, who finished college full of ideas, wants, desires etc. I was bread to be hungry through internships, and have opportunities to work for successful people. Yet… I feel that while listening to Relevant Radio, listening to homilies at Mass, listening to Fr. Corapi while at work… and it seems that a humble life, or a simple life is a better life.

I’m probably like everyone else, I would love to have a nicer car, or actually own a house, drink a finer wine…etc etc… but you hear those stories about Fr. John Corapi who said “I wanted to be somebody” (and he became a successful businessman- then turned into a drug addict, then became a Catholic Priest - a much cooler story I’m not giving justice to)…

How does a person balance trying to live a good life for Christ & be successful?

(food for thought) There have been a couple times when I’ve given a dollar when I hardly had any to the Church…and now I give more but a smaller proportion of my income… then there are the Bill Gates and Warren Buffetts who are giving Billions to charity…BILLIONS …wow. I can only imagine how good it would feel to give just thousands to a cause because I can. But I don’t want to loose myself just to gain fame & fortune.

Any thoughts anyone? Thanks
Click to expand...
I feel your pain as I work in an industry where wealth is very apparant and have to work w/ some folks who make $1M or more a year. Even the “avg. joes” I work with make in the $150k-$350k and even that is in the top 1/10th of 1% of incomes worldwide. It’s hard not to want some of the “finer things”, especially when you’re exposed to them on a regular basis.

A couple of thoughts that I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way):
  1. Give enough away that it hurts a little. Save for retirement and the kids’ education but sacrifice some luxury or pleasure.
  2. Give what you don’t have. For the high-powered business type it may be time. Squeezing in some time at church, charity, or even performing some kindness for a neighbor when you have money, but no time is probably more pleasing to God. (JMHO).
  3. Give out of love. If a wealthy man gives billions but out of a spirit of desiring praise from others, it’s less effective in God’s eyes than a homeless man sharing his food with another homeless man out of love.
Successful, IMHO, is getting to heaven. Work hard on earth, be honest, and do a good job and you will be respected and “successful” here on earth. It doesn’t matter if you are a private equities buyer or a car mechanic.

Just my opinion.
 
I’ll tell you what, two thoughts.

Number 1, I would read Howard Storms story (available online for free - though I do recommend the book) on his Near Death Experience. He became a Protestant but the story is at the level of ‘Mere Christianity’ anyway and he speaks VERY highly of Catholics. The story made me re-evaluate my life BIG TIME!

I once wanted to be world famous. For good reasons I can tell you. I even had my shot once with selling a comedy television series to a production company! Then it all went dead. I knew I had a choice. I could dedicate my entire life to networking and fighting for my TV series to be produced and, thus, sell my soul to the Media industry, or I could give in, walk away and some some other meaning for my life.

I walked away from Media and went into on the deepest depressions I had ever known. Living in the most hideously sex obsessed, Darwinian dating country in the world, I felt I had lost my only hope (frankly) of getting enough glory to impress the opposite sex. My life seemed over before it had begun.

I read Howard Storm’s story and that shifted me, however. I realise just how wrong my priorities were. But it did not bring me joy.

Then, by ‘accident’ I dropped in on a community of Filipinos (a catholic, very loosely Charismatic community called 'Singles for Christ. - awful name but great community.) here I met a people who were not Darwinian, were really Christian, found delight in relationships over gadgets and were the friendliness, gentlest (and in the case of the girls the prettiest!) people I had ever known. I found my desire for glory evaporated! I had a community of people I loved. They came from a poor country and sent money back home. They had nothing but each other and God. And it worked!

I still hope that God may use me to good effect but I have learnt the most important thing in life is giving and receiving love. Acts of love are what it’s about - not gadgets or glory. In the West which is celebrity obsessed it’s impossible not to be affected. We’re like fish that do not know they are in water.

Anyway, I have a community I love, the best friends on the world who respect me for who I am and a loving wife from Indonesia (of all places!) I’m too attached to my old computers but, in the main, if I could live a quiet life without human glory just helping serve God through the community I belong too, that would be a great thing for me. And I’m an introvert who vowed he’d never join a Christian lay community!

A desire for Glory is a problem with your own worth. Hanging around Christians who desire relationship over things and really love God is the best antidote! When you have love in your life things and attainment mean much less! However, the West has so lost grip on family (extended or otherwise) that we need to learn from those that still do family and relationships.

Read Storm’s story first. It’s worth it. The hosting website is dodgy but he personally is not. I’ve read the book! It’s a good start to bringing home what we will be judged on.

near-death.com/storm.html
 
jmoburg said:
How does a person balance trying to live a good life for Christ & be successful?

Any thoughts anyone? Thanks
Click to expand...
The bottom line is to put God first in life no matter what we are doing. We each have our own calls of life. Our responsibility is to fullfill that call with our best efforts. No matter what we do, hold an attitude of doing it for the love of God.

As a young person graduated from college, you were trained with knowledges and skills. Use your education and talents to do your best on the job. As long as you put God first in your life and not allow your career and climbing the ladder become your idol, there is nothing wrong to seek promotion and advancement. Actually, you ought to advance yourself in your career, so you may serve more people and give glory to God.

There is nothing wrong of being prosperous. The important thing is our attitude and priority.
 
One of my friends told me something that she was told by one of her college profs (from Franciscan Univ.). I’ll paraphrase because I can’t remember the exact quote, but it was something along the lines of “Some of us are called to be missionaries, and some of us are called to make lots of money to fund the missionaries.” Made sense to me. If we all vowed poverty, there would be no Tom Monaghans to start up Ave Maria or other major philanthropic donors. Keep close to God, make sure that you worship Him and not money, and you should be fine.
 
I hear ya. I am starting pharmacy school soon, and I was thinking the same things recently. However, I asked my priest about it, and he was telling me that God wants us to have ambition and goals. God wants us to be as successfull as we can. However, there is no other god except God. I am planning on making as much money as I can, buying a nice car, buying a nice home, providing a good life for my family. I am also planning on tithing to the local church plus donating whatever I feel like to wherever I feel like, be it a charity organization or a missionary. Just be sure you have your priorities straight, and we will be fine :).
 
First, put God first in your life, and remember, what ever you receive in life comes from Him, not yourself.

Remember that success isn’t the amount of money you make, but how much life you are able to live in its fullness.

As Henry David Thoreau said, “the true cost of anything, is the amount of life you have to sacrifice to obtain it.”

Always be ware, that wealth can blind you from what’s really important. God, family, career, should be your order of importance. If you keep these in order, you’ll live a full life and avoid regrets.

A little story;

My manager has a brother who lives a very simple life, despite being highly educated and having made tons of money, which he gave all away, he now lives simply and serves poor people in various ways. My manager told me that when he first received his promotion as head manager of the entire corporate engineering department, he called his brother to tell him, brag actually, the good news. His brother’s response was, “does this mean you’ll be working less hours now?” My manager’s answer, “no, in fact I’ll be working more hours.” His brother remarked, “how is this a promotion?” 🙂

Jim
 
Its nice to see so much good advice in response to the original question posted above.

Its been my experience that its ok to be sucessful. If you want something …just ask…its as simple as that. If what you ask is in keeping with God<s will for you … you will recieve it. He may send you some other blessing instead… but He will hear you and act in response to your request and trust.

I met Fr. Eusebe Mineur who wanted to build a seminary for late vocations. He didn<t have a penny. He found a suitable lot… well domain I guess you would call it… He left a statue of his favorite saint in a tree on that lot and said he would be back when the lot was his to build on. Well… he got the lot and piles of money from different sources to build the seminary.He retrieved the statue and gave thanks.
Code: 
 Brother Andre.. did the same with a statue of St Joseph...the beginning of what is known today as St Joseph<s Oratory ( Montreal ) was the result.
God BlessYou
Ricardo
 
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