Materialism
Materialism is not the answer to a fulfilled life. Trust only in God.
Not far from where I live are some of the most luxurious beach communities in all the world. The finest in homes, furnishings, clothing, automobiles, restaurants, artworks, yachts, and craftsmanship can be found in the Newport Beach-Balboa Island-Laguna Beach region. If you ever want to witness materialism on parade, just visit that elegant stretch of real estate.
While driving on the Balboa Peninsula to meet a man for lunch one day, I found myself momentarily behind a bright red Porsche, a beautiful little German-made sports car, meticulously cared for by the owner, who was whipping in and out of traffic. Obviously, he was familiar with the road. As I pulled up behind him to wait for a traffic light, I noticed several appointments on him and his car that revealed he was very much at home in the chic scene. As I smiled at his clever license plate, personalized, of course, I caught a glimpse of the lettered frame that bordered it - which told me volumes about the man's lifestyle, had I any doubt up to that point. It contained eight words: He who dies with the most toys wins! That, friends and neighbors, is "materialism to the max," as some teenagers would say. Before we can ever expect to build a life that is meaningful and fulfilling, we must see the futility of materialism. . .
The idea, then, is to live a pure and godly life, walking in righteousness and letting the power of the Spirit flow through us. Because God's grace frees us from the guilt of sin, we can be plugged into His liberating power. We are free! Now that is the way to walk. And I'll tell you, it is a marvelous way to live. Talk about having a blast!
-From Living on the Ragged Edge by Charles Swindoll; part of The Inspirational Study Bible: New Century Version by Max Lucado
Give God the respect and honor He is due. Look for His help in difficult times, rather than relying on worldly goods and answers whose value is only temporary. Today, pray for help with a problem that material resources cannot solve.
Whoever loves money will never have enough money; Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also useless. -Ecclesiastes 5:10
No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches. -Matthew 6:24
It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world if they lose their souls. They could never pay enough to buy back their souls. -Matthew 16:26
Not far from where I live are some of the most luxurious beach communities in all the world. The finest in homes, furnishings, clothing, automobiles, restaurants, artworks, yachts, and craftsmanship can be found in the Newport Beach-Balboa Island-Laguna Beach region. If you ever want to witness materialism on parade, just visit that elegant stretch of real estate.
While driving on the Balboa Peninsula to meet a man for lunch one day, I found myself momentarily behind a bright red Porsche, a beautiful little German-made sports car, meticulously cared for by the owner, who was whipping in and out of traffic. Obviously, he was familiar with the road. As I pulled up behind him to wait for a traffic light, I noticed several appointments on him and his car that revealed he was very much at home in the chic scene. As I smiled at his clever license plate, personalized, of course, I caught a glimpse of the lettered frame that bordered it - which told me volumes about the man's lifestyle, had I any doubt up to that point. It contained eight words: He who dies with the most toys wins! That, friends and neighbors, is "materialism to the max," as some teenagers would say. Before we can ever expect to build a life that is meaningful and fulfilling, we must see the futility of materialism. . .
The idea, then, is to live a pure and godly life, walking in righteousness and letting the power of the Spirit flow through us. Because God's grace frees us from the guilt of sin, we can be plugged into His liberating power. We are free! Now that is the way to walk. And I'll tell you, it is a marvelous way to live. Talk about having a blast!
-From Living on the Ragged Edge by Charles Swindoll; part of The Inspirational Study Bible: New Century Version by Max Lucado
Give God the respect and honor He is due. Look for His help in difficult times, rather than relying on worldly goods and answers whose value is only temporary. Today, pray for help with a problem that material resources cannot solve.
Whoever loves money will never have enough money; Whoever loves wealth will not be satisfied with it. This is also useless. -Ecclesiastes 5:10
No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches. -Matthew 6:24
It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world if they lose their souls. They could never pay enough to buy back their souls. -Matthew 16:26
Comments
Post a Comment