Money Is No Servant… It’s a Powerful Beast

Andy Snyder|March 29, 2021

If you’ve sat in the church pew long enough…

If you’ve read the clichés in the self-help books…

Or if you’ve talked to anybody who’s gone bust, you’ve surely heard the words of Francis Bacon.

He’s the curious philosopher-turned-politician who died after he caught pneumonia while studying the effects of freezing meat.

He’s also the fellow who famously said, “Money is a great servant but a bad master.”

It’s an interesting idea. Many preachers have used it as the backbone of a mighty sermon.

But we think Bacon was speaking more as a lawyer on the subject than a wise philosopher.

Money, we agree, should be nobody’s master. But a servant? Oh my, no.

That’s a dangerous way to think.

Bigger Than That

Here’s how most folks would describe a servant.

They do what they’re told. They help keep things neat and tidy. They stay out of the way when company is over.

All fine traits for a dollar bill, right?

But what else is a servant?

Usually, they’re at the lower end of the social spectrum. Give ’em a few bucks and maybe a roof over their head and they’re fine following your orders.

They also clock out at the end of the day.

They take vacations.

They sometimes steal or sleep on the job.

That’s not good.

But here’s the big one…

Servants do what we don’t want to do.

Nope. That’s a deal breaker.

We want our money to be a tool that does what we can’t do. We want it to be so big, so bold and so powerful that it can do what no mortal can do.

We want something that can move mountains or make it rain, not just something that will put the tea set away when we’re done our game of bridge.

A Better Way…

We get why Bacon said what he did. We know why so many preachers preach the message.

It’s strong, and it makes sense. Most importantly, it acts as a check that keeps our greedy instincts in line. But it does nothing for the fella who needs more than he has now.

That’s key.

There’s a better way to think about money. It starts with the first half of Bacon’s idea.

As the old phrase infers, money can do much evil.

Yes, it can move mountains… but it can also crush souls, divide husband from wife and part siblings like no other being on Earth.

Money, therefore, is no servant. It’s a beast.

But here’s the thing with that beast. It has no legs. It has no arms.

It can’t go anywhere on its own.

Its presence is its fighting force.

When we take money from one person and give it to another, we transfer a slice of that presence from one to the next. When we get more money, we get more of the presence. When we lose money… we lose a piece of the beast.

You get the picture.

Just know this: The more money we have, the bigger the potential energy that is contained in that beast.

That’s why Bacon is right to tell us to be the master of our money. We need to know where that beast is at all times. We need to know what mountain it’s moving… what valley it’s filling… and whose soul it’s crushing.

Control the Beast

From a practical standpoint, control is not hard to get.

Again, the beast has no legs. It can’t throw a punch.

But it can make quite a fuss if you let it.

Control is simple.

It’s like we said last week. It starts by knowing how much of the beast you want in your life… and why.

From there, you must track its presence like a cat tracks mice. Know what is adding to its presence… and what is taking it away. Know who it’s bothering and who could use its company.

Keep tabs on whether you’ve got enough of it or you still need more.

After last week’s column, we got notes from a slew of folks who are doing fine but still have no goal for how much money they need or want. As they admit, the more they get, the more they seem to need.

That’s dangerous. It’s how the beast takes over.

It’s what it feeds on.

Don’t give it the fodder.

Set a budget. Track every dollar.

Set weekly, monthly, yearly and decadelong goals. And commit to a system that will get you to those goals.

You don’t need a timid and weak servant who will go home and drink beer at the end of the day.

You need an in-your-face, never-tiring, mountain-moving beast that begs to push everything out of its way.

Keep it under control and it’ll do powerful things.

Do you have control over your powerful beast? Tell us about it at mailbag@manwardpress.com.