“Stock Market Spirituality"

Just lately, I heard the phrase “Stock Market Spirituality” and it caught my attention. I have been aware of the”Prosperity Gospel” but this seemed to me be slightly different.

The “Prosperity Gospel” according to Wikipedia is “a Christian religious doctrine that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians, and that faith, positive speech and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one’s material wealth”.

In other words, if you talk nicely about God and give your money to the church, God will always make you wealthy. If this doesn't happen, it simply means that either you aren't talking nicely enough, or, more likely, that you aren't giving enough money to the church.

Again quoting Wikipedia “if humans have faith in God, he will deliver his promises of security and prosperity”

The term “Stock Market Spirituality” seems to me to have a slightly different connotation. The Stock Market, after all, requires something more of you then simply money. It requires some knowledge, trust in the expertise of others and an element of risk. The higher the risk, the higher the possible returns. So the more you invest in it of yourself or your money, the higher the risk is that you might lose everything, but also the greater the returns might be.

“Stock Market Spirituality” implies that you are contributing something in order that you might receive something in return, and that what that is depends on ‘how much’ and ‘in what’ you invested. On one hand this seems a better way because at least you have to do something to receive the reward [heaven? riches? approval of others?]. But looked at in another way, whatever 'good works' you do are done only to get the payback.

The third way, the ‘road less traveled’, would then be living in accordance with Jesus’ ideals of compassion, justice, generosity, etc. just because it is the right way to live your life on this planet, caring for others and for creation. This is the most difficult because we are programmed by our culture to feel that we deserve to get something in return for our efforts: that good things don’t happen to bad people, that whatever we do for others will come back to us a hundred-fold.

The phrase “Stock Market Spirituality” has been a tool that has helped me to look at my motives and perhaps to understand them just a little better. In order to grow, to mature, we need to be aware of why we do the things we do. Otherwise there can be no change, no growth. I hope you will find it a useful tool as well!

What are your motives for how you live your life?