Over the past couple of weeks I have been wrestling with materialism. What it means, what it looks like, is it bad to desire good things or as christians are we not supposed to to have "excess" like fancy cars, nice clothes, a vacation home, money to travel or whatever you want. So this is a post just to throw out what has been tossing around in my head. During my time here in Argentina I have obviously lived very differently from what I do in the states. Ok maybe not as different as I would if I was living in Japan or Sudan but it has been very different. I have gone with without and I am surviving. In fact, I am loving it!
There are still those moments when I think "man I could get there quicker if I had a car." Or "clean floors would be amazing." Or "how great would it be to go shopping so I don't have to wear the same clothes over and over." So all of this has got me thinking what is the balance with materialism.
Lets face it, we have a huge consumeristic society in america. I am part of that society. I am just trying to think about what the Lord says in regards to materialism and how that affects what my desires should be. So here are some of my thoughts after a few weeks of reading and praying:
- the Lord DESIRES to richly bless us.
That is his desire to bless his children. I am not talking prosperity gospel. He blesses in his own way. Most of his blessing is in the eternal perspective but equally he blesses us now. He knows what it good for us. Sometimes what is good is being without.
- it is ok to have a nice car.
It doesn't have to be the car but lets just imagine here. If I have the money to buy a nice car, but have a car that works just fine, shouldn't I use that money on something else that would glorify the Lord? It could be giving to charity, buying something for someone else or sponsoring a missionary. Well I could do all of those things. Those aren't bad things but neither is buying a nice car if your heart is in the right place. If I am giving to the Lord first what is his and he has continued to bless me above that financially then it equally pleases him just to bless me. (i.e. me buying the car.) If my heart is seeking his will first, if my priorities are in line with his and I am daily striving to walk with him, then I can trust the wisdom and discernment he has given me to spend the money, that is his to begin with but has freely given to me, to buy the "extras".
- ultimately our first priority is in the Lord.
When it comes down to it, this shouldn't even be a question I am having. The Lord has told us his will that we should live in communion with him, in harmony the way he originally designed the world. Until that day arrives we are to "go make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) This is where our hearts should lie. Having a heart focused on making disciples will take my heart away from material desires (well not completely because we are sinners after all. But it will make it easier to fill ourselves with truth and get back on the right track).
- the great balance of life.
The reason I struggle in wanting more material things is because I am a broken person. We are all broken and living in a world that is not the way it was created to be. One huge thing I am learning here is balance. There is balance in everything in life. Everything! In our brokenness, or sin, we have lost the ability to keep things balanced. We are either planners or procrastinators. Saving everything thing because you never know when you might need it or using it all up at once to meet the immediate demand. All good or all bad. Only the Lord is the master at the balancing act. He is love and justice. He is peace and war. I could go on a whole other rant with this but I will stick with this - my lack of balance has me thinking it is all or nothing. I can either have nice things or I can't as a Christian. It is black or white. The concept of there being a middle ground is hard to fathom much less define. But one does exist. That is what we are all searching for.
So the question is, what is the balance with materialism? Well I think it is personal. Every person has there own limits as to what the Lord knows they can handle. Materialism too has its limits as some find themselves stumbling over having material desires more than others. Remember balance. Our ultimate priority is serving the Lord. So if material things are keeping us from this then we need to look at our scale to see what needs to be let go. Taking the time to search my own heart, see what my motives are for the stuff, and seeking truth in scripture and in prayer about what the Lord says about materialism is something we should all individually do. Materialism isn't going anywhere therefore the way we approach it makes a world of difference.
" Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." Proverbs 11:4
When it comes down to it, this shouldn't even be a question I am having. The Lord has told us his will that we should live in communion with him, in harmony the way he originally designed the world. Until that day arrives we are to "go make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) This is where our hearts should lie. Having a heart focused on making disciples will take my heart away from material desires (well not completely because we are sinners after all. But it will make it easier to fill ourselves with truth and get back on the right track).
- the great balance of life.
The reason I struggle in wanting more material things is because I am a broken person. We are all broken and living in a world that is not the way it was created to be. One huge thing I am learning here is balance. There is balance in everything in life. Everything! In our brokenness, or sin, we have lost the ability to keep things balanced. We are either planners or procrastinators. Saving everything thing because you never know when you might need it or using it all up at once to meet the immediate demand. All good or all bad. Only the Lord is the master at the balancing act. He is love and justice. He is peace and war. I could go on a whole other rant with this but I will stick with this - my lack of balance has me thinking it is all or nothing. I can either have nice things or I can't as a Christian. It is black or white. The concept of there being a middle ground is hard to fathom much less define. But one does exist. That is what we are all searching for.
So the question is, what is the balance with materialism? Well I think it is personal. Every person has there own limits as to what the Lord knows they can handle. Materialism too has its limits as some find themselves stumbling over having material desires more than others. Remember balance. Our ultimate priority is serving the Lord. So if material things are keeping us from this then we need to look at our scale to see what needs to be let go. Taking the time to search my own heart, see what my motives are for the stuff, and seeking truth in scripture and in prayer about what the Lord says about materialism is something we should all individually do. Materialism isn't going anywhere therefore the way we approach it makes a world of difference.
" Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." Proverbs 11:4
No comments:
Post a Comment