I heard a podcast where the billionaire businessman who also owns a sports team was interviewed. He explained that he bought the team b/c he heard that others who had the opportunity to buy a team, could afford it, but passed it up - regretted it for many years to come. It was their biggest regret.
Regret is emotional anguish. We regret sin and that serves as an atonement.
What were these men regretting and causing themselves emotional pain? They are billionaires. If they would have bought the team, they would have earned tens/hundreds of millions more [not to mention the added bonus of all the stress that goes along with owning a team. Watch how owners react when their team loses....]. Now they lack the extra cash. What do they lack besides a higher number on the computer when they check their account? Are they going to go hungry? Are they going to lack shelter? Is there something that they will want to buy that they can't afford? "Sorry honey [he tells his wife], you can't buy cottage cheese today b/c it is not on sale". Will he have to take the city bus b/c he can't afford a cab?? What does he lack???????????
NOTHING!!!!
So what is there to regret?? Such people suffer from the terminal illness of thinking that the purpose of life is dying with the most toys and paper. When they believe that there is nothing beyond this world, no true meaning, then all they are left with is this sickness.
It is quite common.
Money is a utensil. We use it to buy food, shelter, transportation, education etc. That is all. It is not a end in and of itself. This is so basic and fundamental yet many people don't think this way.
We all breath the air and this distorted way of thinking about money is in the air. People think that it is better to have two billion dollars than one billion dollars. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY?
There is only one true reason - to give it away to those who lack.
