Materialism Jesus taught us that the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful (Matt. 13:22). One of mans greatest challenges is to be master of his material things, to use them to Gods glory rather than to allow them to master his life and turn him away from God. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him(I John 2:15). All who have tried, know that we cannot serve God and Mammon (Matt. 6:24). POSSESSIONS ARE NOT INHERENTLY EVIL Material possessions are innocent and of themselves. It is only when they usurp Gods place in our lives that they become sinful. God reminds us that the cattle on a thousand hills are his (Ps. 50:10-12). Surely it is not sinful for us to own such. It is God who sends us every good and perfect gift (Jas. 1:17). It is not the money but the inordinate desire (love) for it that is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10). THE LOVE OF MONEY IS DESTRUCTIVE We need to be reminded what the obsessive love of material things can do to our souls. Paul warns that it will lead us astray from God and pierce us through with many sorrows (I Tim. 6:8-10). Furthermore, he adds, that it is a root of all kinds of evil. In Matthew 13:22, Jesus warned that materialism chokes the word of God out of our lives, leaving us unfruitful to God. The love of this world made Demas forsake the Lord (II Tim. 4:10). The same thing led Israel to forsake Jehovah once they had settled in Palestine (Deut. 32:15). Materialistic Christians in Laodicea were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked in the Lords eyes (Rev. 3:17). Their trust in material possessions made them feel self-sufficient, and gendered a false security in their hearts. It was materialism that caused Balaam, the prophet, to sell his soul to Balak, king of Moab (Num. 22:6). The Hebrew pilgrims, just recently escaped from Egyptian slavery, were willing to give up their freedom and return to captivity for material comforts (Num. 11:4-6). SOME SINS OF MATERIALISM There are many sins that flow directly from the well of materialism. There are sins against God. When men pursue riches and earthly pleasures they often neglect the study of Gods word and prayer. This in itself further weakens them spiritually. Working more and longer hours for gain, they begin to neglect the church, its services and activities (Heb.10:25-26). Ere long this neglect of God and his kingdom inevitably leads them to desert God altogether. All of us have seen this deadly pattern at work. Materialism makes one sin against his family. Some couples are so busy making money with which to acquire things that they do not have time or energy to devote to their mates. In some cases wives work days, husbands work nights and hired help raises the kids. How tragic. Many dads are too busy making money to enjoy their kids much less train them in Gods ways (Eph. 6:4). Youngsters from such homes are often maladjusted, or unruly. Some are resentful and rebellious. At best they are deprived and suffer. What has a man profited if he brings in $800.00 per week but loses his wife or children? What would he give in exchange for his family? One of the more obvious examples of materialism is neglect of aged parents. Their children are too busy, enjoying the good life which money buys, to open their homes to mom or dad. There just isnt time to visit the folks after they have gone boating on the weekend. Only when death has solved the problem does the guilt set in. Some folks shame their family, their Christian brethren and Christ by dishonesty in their mad search for wealth. Then there are sins against self caused by materialism. Many a man has ruined his health while grasping for wealth. The Creator plainly tells us that all need a weekly day of rest from labor (Deut. 5:12-15). How tragic to see a man drive himself till he is rich enough to eat steak but by then his stomach is so affected with ulcers so that he cannot stand to eat it. We sin against self when we violate Gods code of honesty and truthfulness thus robbing ourselves of peace with God and eternal life (I Cor. 6:9-10). The materialist sins against his fellow man if he is driven to cheat his customers, employers or employees in his quest for money. Some have even been known to be dishonest with relatives and friends for moneys sake. May God have mercy on such souls. SUGGESTIONS FOR OVERCOMING MATERIALISM To deal with any problem we must understand the true nature of it. Materialism is not being a hard worker. This God commands and commends (II Thess. 3:10-12). It is not having a conscientious attitude toward our job or career. We are instructed to work as unto the Lord (Col. 3:23). Making money, even lots of it, is not materialism. Paul urges us to work so we can have abundance enough to help others (Eph. 4:28). It is not wrong to own property and have nice possessions. Job and Abraham were wealthy, propertied men, yet well pleasing to God. What then is the sin of materialism? It is a sinful attitude toward the things of this world that God condemns. It is the attitude of getting wealth and things at any cost. It is selfishness rather than sharing the wealth we have. It is indulging self in material things and pleasures while neglecting more important spiritual matters. Materialism is allowing Mammon, the god of riches, to usurp Gods place in our lives (Matt. 16:24). It means trusting wealth rather than God to solve lifes problems and make us secure. We must recognize the danger and folly of materialism. Material wealth and possessions can never satisfy the deeper inner needs of man. Solomon learned this in a painful way ( Eccle. 2:4-11). We should learn by his experience. We must learn to view all material things as a stewardship from God. Christians use their material things to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). We should generously support his kingdom, the church (1 I Cor. 16:1-2). We must be eager to contribute to the spread of the gospel in mission fields (Phil. 1:5). We should want to help the poor (Jas. 1:27). To sum it up we should always be ready unto every good work (Tit. 3:14). It is said that the late Brother A. M. Burton, founder of the Life and Casualty Insurance Company of Tennessee, gave away 90% of his earnings and kept 10% for himself. Let us daily pray that God will help us to possess our possessions.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 08:55:10 +0000