In God We Trust?: Money, Meaning, and the Modern Mind
A New Thought Reflection on the Illusion of Wealth and the True Source of Power
“We’ve replaced creation with transaction. We think money makes things happen. But it doesn’t. Mind does. Thought, not currency, is the true creative force. Until we remember that, we’ll keep mistaking paper for power and wondering why nothing real ever feels enough.”
A hand reaches out from the left. Another from the right. But instead of a spark of life, there’s a crisp hundred-dollar bill between them. It’s a modern take on Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam that says more than most sermons. What do we really worship today? Where do we believe our power comes from?
New Thought philosophy teaches that the universe begins in Mind, not matter. Everything flows from consciousness. Yet, somewhere along the way, many of us started treating money as our ultimate source. This essay digs into that distortion and looks at how we can reconnect with the deeper truth.
The Illusion of Supply
In New Thought, supply isn’t something we chase. It isn’t in a paycheck or a stock portfolio. Charles Fillmore once said, "God is the unfailing resource." That means our good comes from within us. But most people have been trained to believe otherwise.
We say things like, "I can’t afford it" or "I need more money," reinforcing the idea that we’re separate from what we need. In truth, what we focus on shapes what we experience. When we focus on lack, we create more of it. When we believe money is the source, we cut ourselves off from the flow that never runs dry.
That image with the hundred-dollar bill says it all. We’ve replaced creation with transaction. We think money makes things happen. But it doesn’t. Mind does.
Misplaced Faith in Currency
Every U.S. dollar says, "In God We Trust." But let's be honest, most of us trust the dollar more than the idea behind it. In New Thought, we talk a lot about the power of belief. Whatever we believe in, we give life to. If we believe in money, we end up fearing its loss. If we believe in Spirit, we learn to relax and let life flow.
Money is a tool. Nothing more. When we treat it like a god, we give away our power. We start living from fear instead of freedom. The hand reaching out in the image isn’t looking for connection. It’s reaching for control, for something it thinks it lacks.
Creation Reimagined
In the original painting, God gives life. In the parody, one person hands over cash. It’s a powerful image because it shows what we’ve started to believe about how things work. That value can be passed from one hand to another. That worth is something you earn, not something you are.
New Thought flips that on its head. You are already enough. You already have access to the creative power of the universe. Money is not the source of your ability to create. Thought is. Love is. Vision is.
When we confuse money with power, we stop dreaming big. We settle for what we think we can afford. But spiritual truth isn’t bound by budgets. It’s bound only by belief.
Waking Up from the Trance
Eric Butterworth called it "material hypnosis." That dazed state we fall into when we believe outer circumstances control our happiness. Capitalism thrives on that mindset. It depends on us never feeling satisfied, always chasing more.
But New Thought reminds us that we are not at the mercy of the world. We shape it with our consciousness. Abundance isn’t out there. It starts with awareness.
The image of the dollar bill being passed isn't just clever. It’s a warning. It shows how deeply we’ve bought into the lie that money equals life. It doesn’t. And the more we chase it, the more we lose sight of what really matters.
Living in Spiritual Economy
So how do we break the spell? We shift the question. Instead of asking, "How can I get more?" we start asking, "How can I give more?"
True wealth isn’t about accumulation. It’s about flow. Generosity. Creativity. It’s knowing that giving and receiving are two sides of the same energy. The more we give, the more we open ourselves to receive.
In a spiritual economy, success isn’t measured in dollars but in impact, joy, and purpose. The most prosperous people aren’t always the richest. They’re the ones who know they’re connected to something bigger than themselves.
Changing the Collective Story
This isn’t just a personal journey. It’s a cultural one. That dollar-between-hands image says a lot about where we are. But it doesn’t have to say where we’re going.
New Thought invites us to dream bigger as a society. What if we built systems based on trust, creativity, and care? What if we invested in people, not just profits?
The shift starts in consciousness but doesn’t end there. It has to ripple out into how we vote, how we spend, and how we treat each other. When we change our minds, we change the world.
Conclusion: Remembering the Real Spark
The original painting captured a moment of awakening. The divine touching the human. Awareness lighting up. That’s still possible. Every day. Every moment.
We don’t need to reach for money. We need to reach for meaning. For connection. For the spark within that never goes out.
Let this image be a mirror. Not to show us what we are, but to remind us of what we’re becoming. We are not here to trade paper. We are here to create.
Affirmation: "I trust the good within me. I don’t need permission or payment to create. I live from abundance, not fear."
Further Reading:
Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth
The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes
The Twelve Powers of Man by Charles Fillmore
Prosperity by Charles Fillmore
The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity by Catherine Ponder
NewThought: www.MichaelCorthell.com