Struggling With Materialism?

Memory Verse: "Beware! Don't always be wishing for what you don't have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are." 

Scripture Reading: Lk.21:13-34.

It's okay to possess things, but do your things possess you? 

We live in a [fallen] society where the goal of life is to get more, more, and more. The Bible describes that with two words: stupid and selfish. 

Show me a materialistic person and I will show you a man that can never be generous- not even by pretense or by mistake! On the other hand, a person who is generous can never be materialistic. The difference is that, while the former is looking for how to get; the latter is looking for ways to distribute.

God tells us that selfishness causes all kinds of problems. For example, the Bible says that the greedy "set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life." (Prov.1:18-19 NLT)

You can be so busy making a living — trying to get more — that you forget to make a life. Pause and reflect on that.

There is only one antidote to materialism: generosity. Generosity is God's antidote for materialism.

Sweetheart, how have you battled materialism in your life? Are there certain triggers — people or situations — that tend to push you toward becoming more materialistic? What kind of problems has selfishness and greed caused in your life? What's one giving goal you can set as you seek to break the grip of materialism in your life?

Every time you give, you break the grip of materialism in your life, because giving is the opposite of materialism. 

Materialism is all about what you get. To break its grip on us, we need to do the exact opposite: give, give and give. When you do, your heart grows bigger and larger- able to accomodate the needs of others and ofcourse, you grow spiritually too!

Today is a good day to set a giving goal. What better way to begin a new month. Go ahead and set the goal, stick with it and watch materialism, selfishness, greed and covetousness lose their grip on you. 

Ponder Point: The best things in life aren't things.

Action Point: Value people not things. Be generous.

Prayer Point: Righteous Father, please forgive us for greed, selfish ambition, idolatry, conceit and arrogance. Forgive us for loving things and placing them over You. Forgive us for not being good stewards of Your blessings. As your child, I renounce any gods of materialism and I embrace the spirit of generosity in Jesus name, Amen.