One summer I went to an orphanage in Honduras wearing only a few sets of clothes.
At the end of my time there, I realised that I had little to really need to work. I left most of my clothes in an orphanage with a girl in Honduras, and by the time I returned home I was overwhelmed by the enormous amount of what I owned. It is always a good reality check – humble reality check to leave American luxury, go to a third world country and return with a new perspective on materialism.
A friend recently reminded me, “Everything we own will eventually become a dump.” This stuck with me as the pressure to buy things continues to grow as digital advertising continues to bombard us with the promise that the latest and greatest products will “make us happy.” The convenience of cheap clothing from Amazon Prime, Shein, and H&M, and the fast shipping fuels the urge to buy more of our impulses.
You can worship and serve only one: God or something else.
Every time we buy something online there's a dopamine rush and we get another rush when it shows up at our front door.
US consumer spending reached an all-time high of $16 billion in the third quarter of 2024. Trade Economics. We are obsessed with buying things. We spend exorbitant amounts of money keeping up to the latest trends, rich friends (many people actually buried in credit card debt), and the hottest new fashion lines.
But Jesus never called us to “catch up with Jones.” Unfortunately, many American churches have been working on this lie.
I have committed the sin of falling into this trap myself. The world, the ads and fully staged Instagram posts all say we need more, but Jesus is calling us to be in the world. We should leave.
Has all our “things” transformed us into happier and grateful Christians? no.
King Solomon reminds us of this powerful truth in the church book.
As the wealthiest king in the world, King Solomon “had it all.” All material possessions owned by Solomon. All the luxury life could offer, Solomon enjoyed it. Nothing could be withheld, but Solomon was proud of his meaning and satisfaction. He was shorter.
We see the same pattern in celebrities and politicians today. They have what most people want: money, power, fame, but often lead sad and unfulfilled lives.
At the beginning of the church, King Solomon argues that “everything is vanity.” He explores the meaninglessness of life throughout all 12 chapters, and declares along the way. “A man who loves money is not satisfied with money; this is also a vanity” (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Timothy says, “Because the love of money is the root of all evil, it reflects a similar reality in 1 Timothy 6:10. The Bible never says that money is evil, but rather love That's it. Jesus is clear in Luke 16:13: “You cannot serve God and money.”
You can worship and serve only one: God or something else.
Solomon ends the evangelist with this accusation. “Fear God and keep His commandments; this is the duty of man” (Church 12:13). We should listen to his advice. .
When we arrive at the gates of heaven, God is not going to ask what kind of car we drove, what kind of house we lived in, how much money we made. But he holds us accountable for how we ordered money, possessions and time.
The natural solution to greedy sin is seen in satisfaction. It's a lifelong lesson. We must practice satisfaction every day, and it starts with gratitude.
Last summer, my husband and I moved into a small house built in 1979. This was our first home we owned, so we were excited to say goodbye to our two-year apartment. We finally had a space to breathe and a perfect garden for kids to play.
Since moving, there have been a lot of people passing through our doors. But I didn't expect to hear some of the comments we received from people:
- “Your kitchen is small and you don't have much storage space there.”
- “Wow, the floor squeals there.”
- “Why did you buy this house?”
I don't think every statement was intentional. But it started to make me feel uneasy about my home and after hearing those comments I wouldn't appreciate it. These comments made us feel like our home wasn't enough, so we didn't, so I fought feeling “less.”
Thankfully, these feelings didn't last long. However, it is a good memory that our value in Christ is not dependent on material possessions.
Timothy also said: We have brought nothing to this world, and we are sure we cannot do anything” (1 Timothy 6:6-7).
There's nothing inherently wrong about owning something nice, owning a new home, or becoming financially sharp. But most importantly, God has called us to use all that He is blessed to serve Him, His Kingdom, and others. He didn't call us to chase him and hoard wealth.
No, it's the exact opposite. God sees the heart. Material possessions are often the obstacles to obeying Jesus, as the interaction between Jesus and his rich young ruler shows.
Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything he had, give to the poor, and follow him. Instead of throwing away his worldly possessions and chasing Christ, the rich young ruler left his conversation with Jesus and was surrounded by a “sad” self-ity (Mark 10:22). The young man knew himself enough to realize that by giving up on his own things, he was not a sacrifice he would be willing to make. Jesus also knew this, and he gave that particular person this particular challenge.
Christ knows each of our idols and asks us to place them.
Materialism shows where our loyalty lies. It reveals what we value most. Do we value God and our possessions? Jesus saw through the hearts of a wealthy young ruler.
In Philippians 4:11-13, the apostle Paul argues that no matter what circumstances he is in, the “secret” of life is satisfied with satisfaction, regardless of his wealth or need. We can be practically wealthy, but since we are spiritually broken, God always looks inward. This world is not our home, but we try to live our lives desperately. As God instructed us, “Do not store it for treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:19), for they are fleeting.
God's truth frees us from materialism. Every day we need to put treasures on the cross and focus on what really matters: eternity.
