“Rich people have small T.V.s and big libraries, and poor
people have small libraries and big T.V.s” – Zig Ziglar
I am not entirely sure what the famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar
meant when he said this, but when I recite it to myself I can think about this
statement in several ways. The quotation might suggest that rich people might
be more educated than poor people. This is sometimes true, I suppose. Mr.
Ziglar might also be speaking about the accumulation of knowledge as the path
towards financial well-being. Again, this is might be true in some, possibly
even most, cases. It is true that reading and studying can yield an education. It
is also true than an education can lead to a better paying job and more
financial security. However, the primary
meaning I take from Mr. Ziglar’s words is this: people that are “rich” are rich
in faith, spirit and knowledge. People that are “poor” are poor in faith,
spirit and knowledge. Being rich does not necessarily mean financially rich and being poor does not necessarily mean financially poor.
The Holy Bible speaks many times about being rich in spiritual, heavenly things, not material things. This is just one example, from Matthew 6:19-21 “Do
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy and
where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in
and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I like
to think that Mr. Ziglar was referring to a spiritual library. This is something
we all should have if we are truly on the path to a better, more fulfilling
life. A spiritual library could
simply consist of a Bible, a motivational book, a recovery oriented book, a
self-improvement book, or a book of prayers. Remember what makes you what you
are? Remember what defines who you are as a person and who you are becoming? If
you forgot, here it is once more: You can
tell what is important to a person by how they spend their time and what they
make a priority in their lives. You can say
that “God, faith, and working to become a better person is my primary focus in
life”, but if you spend all of your time watching your flat-screen T.V.,
carelessly spending your money, hoarding your possessions, and generally living
a life void of faith, God, and study, these things are obviously not as
important as you claim they are. While I do enjoy watching T.V. on occasion, I
find that I get the most fulfillment from studying spiritual things,
meditating and praying, and trying to learn God’s will for me. Try it today.
Turn of the T.V., and turn on your mind to the possibilities that await you
through the study of spiritual things. As always, all you must do is begin.
