Religion can have a powerful effect on not only your life, but also your finances.

Religion can make you Poor

I have older friends with pictures of Jesus on ever wall of their house, and they believe that money is the root of all evil.  I don’t believe that money is the root of good or evil, to me, money is just a tool.  But those that do believe that “money is the root of all evil” give all of their money way with no real focus on their own well-being.  This is noble, but also a financial mistake.  Now my elderly friends are old and don’t have the money for taking care of themselves.  They just thought that the god of their religion would take care of them, but s/he doesn’t.  In this way, religion is powerful, but in a negative way with respect to your finances.  If it were a movie ending, the couple would win the lottery or some other miracle would happen, but for the majority of people this never happens.  Many will say that they weren’t dedicated enough, but I beg to differ.  Bad things happen to good people sometimes, god has nothing to do with it.

Religion can make you Rich

The believe that you are running god’s course by take any reasonable risk or opportunity that god lays upon your doorstep is a powerful thought, and sometimes can enable a hard-working religious person to become rich.  In fact, the believe that you will become rich by starting your own business, and putting in the time at it, can be very, very powerful!  I have quite a few friends that have followed this path, and prospered greatly by following the opportunity presented to them.

Even in the classic book “Millionaire Next Door” by Stanley and Danko, there is a chapter on believe and wealth.  Yes, Believe can be a very powerful motivator to become wealthy, and it only makes sense.  If you are focused with a religious fervor on accumulating wealth, the odds are stacked in your favor… at least if you try to tackle it with 100% effort.

I’d love to hear comments on this or your personal stories.