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Like
most kids, I loved the water and looked forward to any opportunity to swim in
our pool (summer is over L). Nothing was more fun than
making a whirlpool with my friends. We would walk as fast as we could around
the perimeter of the pool dozens of times until the water was flowing so fast
that we couldn’t keep up with it. The real challenge was turning around and
going against the flow. It would usually undercut our legs and throw us back circling around the pool. Isn’t life often like
that whirlpool? There are cultural streams of water that push against us and
suck us into their path. One such force is materialism. We live in an affluent
culture. Each day, we are bombarded by the drive to accumulate money and
possessions by our neighbors, the media, employers, and even Christian friends.
This has become a spiritual virus that infects all of us and can quickly hamper
our relationship with God and his dynamic working in our lives. I came across a
few statistics that paint a clear picture of our affluent culture:
Ø Americans spend $2.8 billion
on Halloween candy.
Ø Since 1978, at least 37
people have died as a result of shaking vending machines in an attempt to get
free merchandise.
Ø $1,092 annually on coffee
Ø $117 billion annually on
fast food.
Ø $125 billion annually on
casino gambling
Ø Average
household credit card debt $15,593
How
can we, as followers of Jesus Christ, be good stewards of the tremendous
blessings God has given us and challenge the flow of materialism that daily
enters our lives? Jesus gives us a clear picture of how to overcome this
spiritual virus of materialism.
1. Claim Christ’s Friendship: Jesus says in Luke 12:21: “Yes, a person is a fool
to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” We can
gain everything the world offers, but at the end of our lives, all that matters
is what we have done for our Lord. Committing our life to the accumulation of
wealth, while ignoring a rich relationship with God, is as foolish as fixing an
overflowing toilet on the Titanic after it has hit the iceberg. A relationship
with Christ is the starting point toward inoculation against our materialistic
culture and a proper understanding of how to invest God’s way.
2. Adjust Your Focus: In Luke 12, Jesus goes on to say that we must not set our hearts on
things of this earth; instead we need to seek His Kingdom. What we focus on
will dictate the state of our heart. As an archer, I was successful in hitting
the target only when I focused on lining up my sights with the target. When my
focus was off, my arrow repeatedly missed the target. Are we spending our days
focusing on the external or the eternal? Christ tells us that when we seek His
Kingdom, He will provide us with all that we need in this life. If you are
wondering whether your focus is on the eternal, ask yourself this question: “What
do I dream about when I am lying in bed or driving in my car?” What we dream
about is often what our focus is on.
3. Release Your Resources: The irony of the Christian life is that when we hoard,
we become empty but when we release, we become filled. If you have ever
mentored a child, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, or participated on a
missions trip, you understand this concept. Of all my college Spring breaks,
the one spent on an Indian reservation teaching children, fixing buses, and
working the land was the most memorable. Our group was not empty when we
returned to school, instead we where filled with the satisfaction, joy and
spiritual depth that comes with serving the Lord. Jesus says, “Do not be
afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that
will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted.” Everything
we have is from God. When we give our resources, time and talent back to Him,
we have a greater capacity to avoid getting sucked into the unhealthy values of
our culture.
As
committed disciples of Jesus Christ, we have the capacity in Christ to swim
against the flood of materialism that daily bombards us. We must always
remember that the real issue of life, as far as God is concerned, is not
whether we are rich or poor. It is whether our hearts are given over to God.
Jason Esposito
Lead Pastor
Crossway Church
www.crosswaygt.org
