Christians and Materialism

Sometimes we may ask ourselves the question, “Why can’t I have it all?”  Especially this time of year, we can make the mistake of making Christmas all about the getting.  So, there are really two things we should consider before attempting to answer this above question the way so many of us would like to answer it.

Attitude Check

It's easy to think materialism is all about money and possessions.

But when you look at what the Bible says, it's not the money or even the stuff itself that makes us materialistic. It's our attitude. The Bible says, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10).

So how can you keep your attitude in check? Whenever you feel the urge to spend money, ask yourself:

•   Am I buying this so other people will like me? It's easy to try to buy acceptance. After all, it really does seem like the people with cool stuff are more popular. But real friends are more interested in who you are than in what you own (Proverbs 17:17).

•   Is buying this the best way to honor God with my money? When we have money, there are tons of great things we can do that really help other people. Take a lonely little kid to a movie, send flowers to your grandmother, buy a sandwich for someone who's hungry (Deuteronomy 15:7-8).

•   How would I feel if this thing were taken away from me? Life is pretty unpredictable. That's why God tells us to focus on the things that are eternal, like his love for us, and not on the temporary things of earth (1 Timothy 6:17).

•   Am I buying this to fill up some empty part of my life? Sometimes we count on material things to make our lives feel complete. But God is the only one who can really take care of our needs. When we trust in him, we can't help but feel satisfied (Philippians 4:11-13).

What's Really Important?

Check out these testimonies!

"My dad's a lawyer, and at times I think, Why do we live here? We could have our own house and our own car. I could have all the clothes I want."

So says Brittany, who lives in a community of Christians known as Jesus People USA (JPUSA), along with her friends Jesse, Layla and Heather.

Located in inner-city Chicago, JPUSA includes about 600 families who live in a renovated hotel. With an emphasis on "sharing all things," the Jesus People reach out to the city's poor and needy.

Let’s look at four of these teenagers and talk about how their lifestyle affects their attitude toward material things.

“There are times I would like to have more material things. But then I go over and help out at our homeless shelter and I'm surrounded by small children who have absolutely nothing. It makes me feel guilty and selfish. I mean, I really do have a lot of clothes—even though at times I'd like more. Working at the shelter makes me appreciate what I do have.

And I have so much. I have close friends who live here in the community. I'm surrounded by so many godly adult Christians who help me when I have problems and who help me grow in my faith. I really have everything I need.”

—Brittany

“We share just about everything here. Our cars are shared. Our meals are shared. Our money's shared. We live in a room with roommates. You'd think that living in this kind of a community would make me it easier to share. But if I'm not careful, it can actually make me too protective of my own stuff.

I have my own stereo and my roommate will want to use it. Now I have no reason not to let him use it, especially when I'm not in the room. But I find it hard to give him permission. It's like I just have to have something that's mine and nobody else's.

When I find myself getting selfish like that, I have to stop and asked myself what's more important—my relationship with my roommate, or this thing I own? I know the answer, but I just find it hard to do what's right sometimes.

I don't think it's bad to want nice things, like my stereo. But it is bad when some thing becomes more important than God, family or friends.”

—Jesse

“I get magazines that have all these nice clothes, and I say, "I want that!" I see a newspaper ad that tells me I can fly to Italy for $500, and I think, That's really cheap. Why can't I go to Italy?

But you know what? I have plenty of nice clothes. And I get to go on a two-week vacation every year with my family. I have more than I really need.

I guess part of the problem is that the things we see in advertisements are made out to be so attractive. Take something as insignificant as a chocolate candy bar. The ads make it look delicious, like you have to have it. But you don't have to have it. We all need to fight those kind of lies.

Besides, our God is a loving God. He wants us to be happy. He understands our feelings and our desires. He knows what we really need and will give it to us. If he doesn't give it, we really don't need it.”

—Layla

“I do volunteer work with AIDS patients. Many of the people I minister to are men who had just about everything they could want materially. Some of them were really rich. Now that they're dying, what do their material possesions mean? In many cases, their money is even gone because of all the medical expenses. Everything the world told them was important is all gone.

Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever." All people will eventually die. All things on earth will change. What's cool today will not be cool tomorrow. But the Word and our Lord do not change. Shouldn't we put our time and energy into something that will last forever?”

—Heather

So I hope you take some time to think about your relationship with materialism as a follower of Christ.  Be mindful that "getting whatever you want" may not be what you really need.