“22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:22-27)
Jesus explains why our inner light and soul are the most important aspects of life, and why physical achievements—including money, food, the clothes on our back, and even our bodies themselves—are truly irrelevant. If we exclusively devote ourselves to external, material pleasures, our inner world will remain empty. The only things that will bring meaning to our lives are generosity, spiritual growth, optimism, and loving our neighbor. Only these can infuse our souls with light and positivity in the long run. We must choose between indulging in materialism and devoting our lives to spiritual progress and kind deeds. We cannot choose both.
Giving must be done freely, without expectation of reward.
