On attachment to and use of material things

 

We should not allow ourselves to be ruled by thoughts of material things, nor should we dwell on them.  Rather, we should be detached from that which is material.  Living our lives with detachment allows us to undertake our various duties more easily and painlessly.  This detachment is possible only through two means. 

The first is the remembrance of death; we must live each day as though it were the last day of our entire life.  If we do this, we will be able to determine what in our lives is essential and what is not.  The relativity of the  things that are non-essential will become obvious to us and we will remain focused on what is actually important. 

The other means by which we achieve detachment from material things is prayer.  Prayer must be present in all of our activities.  Every time we begin a task, we must ask God to help us.  This does not mean that we should use prayer to help us acquire material things, but that it should be a spiritual aid that we use at all times.  God will then give us the material things that will be to the benefit of our souls, and more importantly, He will help us to live every moment for Himself, and to use material things in a spiritual way.