Materialism

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? “ Mark 8: 36


The basic question today comes down to: what are you living for? It seems that many people are living for the moment and the amount of stuff they can acquire. Work is not about getting the things we need in life as much as it is about getting the things we WANT in life. As a culture, we seem to be stuck in a rut of materialism. We somehow think that if we just had that one more thing (iPhone, lap top, kindle, car, iPod, etc) then we would be really satisfied. But is this true? If what we are living for is the next best thing, then can we ever truly be satisfied? Because there are always new things being invented, manufactured and marketed. When will we ever have it all?

I see this particularly with some teens. When we are young it is harder to look into the future. Everything in the adult world seems so far away. It is easier to live for the here and now. And it is easy to blow things out of proportion. Like that zit on your nose. It’s not really going to kill you, is it? Or the girl who said no to your invitation to prom? The sun will still rise tomorrow. Or the new technological gadget you want. Are you really going to be social misfit and flunk out of high school if your parents don’t buy it for you right NOW? Of course not; but it can feel that way sometimes.

We seem to always be stuck on wanting more while at the same time never content with what we have. More than anything this fosters greed and ingratitude. And if our hearts and minds are greedy and unthankful, then we are going to have a hard time being happy in this world and together with Christ in the next.

The solution here is eternal vision. This means we keep our eyes fixed on Christ and the goal of heaven. It does NOT mean we ignore the here and now, nor stop working for a better tomorrow. But it helps us to put everything in proper perspective and to prioritize the importance of things each day. It helps us to have gratitude for what we have while at the same time, helping us to put first things first. Nothing in this life is more important than us getting to heaven. Nothing. And in the end, when we stand before the Lord for judgment, no amount of material goods will prove our worthiness for eternal life. It will not matter whether we had two dimes to rub together or not. It will only matter if we followed the Lord and loved as He loved. And whether or not we have chosen heaven or hell by the way we have lived our lives on this earth, at that moment, we will know what truly mattered and what didn’t. It isn’t Best Buy that is going to fulfill us my friends; it is a relationship with Jesus. Even the good things of this world are temporary. And you and I were made for eternal. Let’s live keeping this in mind.

Dear Jesus, help me to keep my eyes fixed on You and give me eternal vision. Give me the grace to be content with what I have and to not place my hopes or desires on anything of this world. Amen.