Do you think Twinkies should be free?

How about soda or candy?

Let’s try the same question with some other things, not just food (if you can actually call these examples “food”): Should tables and chairs be free? Should you just be able to walk into a furniture store and take whatever you want?

One more round–this time with services (rather than physical items): Do you think people should paint your house for free? Fix your car? Do your dry-cleaning?

Keep in mind, the question isn’t “Would you like these things to be free?”–it’s “Do you think they should be free?” In other words, should everyone just be entitled to go into any store and demand any item or service, absolutely free of charge?

If we’re being honest with ourselves, I’m guessing that most of us would answer no. (And if you didn’t answer no, I bet you would if you imagined yourself as the store-owner or service-provider in this scenario, forced to work for free, rather than the one getting the products or services for free!)

Fair is fair. Whether we’re talking about junk food, furniture, or manual labor, paying for things shows that you value them. Payment acknowledges the time, energy, and expense that goes into making/doing something that you want. And it represents (or embodies) an exchange of energy that both sides feel good about (otherwise, the exchange wouldn’t happen).

We take all this for granted–so much so that we rarely if ever think about it. It’s just a given that most products and services cost money. And that is generally seen as fair and right.

Yet all of these universally accepted notions about paying for what we value often goes right out the window when people think about services aimed at helping you in your spiritual life.

Time and again I’ve heard people say, “I just don’t think it’s right to charge money for spritual services.” Yet these same people would, undoubtedly, have no argument with a store charging for Twinkies or other things that are BAD for you. So why do they have a problem with people charging for something that is GOOD for you, that uplifts you, that adds value to your life?

More often than not, it’s not the would-be customer who expresses reservations, but the person providing the service: the one offering the spiritual counseling, reading, energy work, or any other service designed to enrich your life in a positive, holistic way. Some of these practitioners might feel that money and spirituality are in conflict. Others might simply lack the self-worth to value themselves and their gifts enough to feel worthy of putting a literal value on it…in the form of a price tag!

(My first job after college was co-managing a New Age Center, which I did for five years–so I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve heard variations on this “you-shouldn’t-charge-for-spiritual-services” theme dozens if not hundreds of times during those years alone!)

This is not to say that we shouldn’t give. (Also, don’t worry–I’m not going to start charging for my blog!) Giving is wonderful! Offering your gifts without any expectation is a beautiful service!

But there is also absolutely nothing wrong with exchanging energy for services–whether it is through trade, barter, or cash. After all, money is simply another form of energy. Payment assures that the energy keeps flowing back and forth (as opposed to a one-way energy-suction or simply stopping). It is also a compliment, a way of saying, “I appreciate you. I literally value what you do. It adds value to my life!” (If it didn’t, you wouldn’t participate in the service, even if it were free, right?)

From a law-of-attraction standpoint, paying for spiritual services is a way of feeding that service, a way of saying, “I want more stuff like this in the world!” Giving something energy makes it grow. And as I stated above, money is simply another form of energy.

On a practical level, exchanging money for spiritual services enables the server to make a living (fully or partially) through their gift, their passion, their service. It means that they will be able to offer this gift to far more people, dedicating a large portion of their life to it, rather than trying to cram it in on nights and weekends after working 40-odd hours at a job they took merely out of (perceived) necessity.

Without charging for their spiritual services, so many gifts would atrophy, fall by the wayside, or go largely (or entirely) unshared. Many people’s life-callings would go unanswered, simply because they felt uncomfortable accepting money for it. (Whereas they would, presumably, feel OK accepting money for typing in an office cubicle, putting cans on a grocery-store shelf, or doing whatever other job they might take to pay their bills.)

So, whichever side of the exchange you might find yourself on, remember that payment for spiritual service is a way of both sides saying, “I value this. I value you. This is important, life-enriching, spirit-nourishing work. And I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is.”

So, can we all just agree to get past this money-for-spiritual-services hang-up once and for all? I bet we’d all be so much happier, more abundant, and spiritually enriched.

I would put money on it!

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What are your thoughts about being charged money for spiritual services? (Remember, I’m not talking about charlatans and scam artists; I’m talking about people who legitimately enrich people’s lives through gifts and talents that they’ve nurtured and honed through years of work or training.) Do you ever feel weird about charging for your own services–whether they’re spiritually based or any other kind? Would you be willing to open to alternative perspectives that might nurture you, your gifts, and those who receive them? I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences.

Twinkies photo (CC) Larry D. Moore. Hostess Twinkies is a trademark of Interstate Bakeries Corporation.