Character… What Can Kill It? #5 - Materialism
* Maybe you have never heard about a little book written five hundred years ago called “The Imitation of Christ” – It is a gentle book, filled with the spirit of the love of God – it has brought understanding and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages, and provided them with a source of heart-felt personal prayer. These meditations on the life and teachings of Jesus, written in times even more troubled and dangerous than our own, have become a guide and inspiration to many throughout the centuries. In it Thomas à Kempis in a loving but direct way teaches the readers to follow Christ in their daily life. If I dare to summarize this gem I would say that Thomas à Kempis tells those who read it to tune their character to the life of Christ – to imitate Christ daily in their life.
* As in the previous blogs, we are addressing those things in our life that can destroy our character. The topic today is materialism. When we crave obsessively for possessions our interest cannot be focused on the Kingdom of God – God and other people.
* When Paul addresses false teachers in 1 Timothy 6:4-10, he says that, besides other issues, one of the signs of serious problems regarding the foundation for a godly life is that for false teachers “…religion is just a way to get rich.” This is a serious problem for many Christians. Their focus has shifted from glorifying God and seeking the wellbeing of the community that surrounds them to getting rich. That kind of “material-centered life” destroys the very soul of a Christian.
* It is easy to understand that human beings have the deep-seated desire to focus of material things, after all we are carbon-based beings… We have a body that is physical matter.
* Paul continues in 1 Timothy 6:4-10 saying that “…true religion with CONTENTMENT is great wealth, after all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
* It is very hard to deal with, to get along with people who center their lives on material things & money. The reason is simple: In any relationship – family, business, friendship – they are always looking for ways to get something – and often take advantage of others even if it is by dishonest means. Remember the commandment? “You shall not steal.” What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
* We need money, but if we believe that money will bring us happiness, we will always be disappointed. When we love money, we learn it is an empty love and that it destroys our character. You see, money can’t love you back. It is incapable of reciprocating your love. God loves you… people love you.
* Loving money & material possessions is expensive. It can cost you your family, friends, precious time (as you pursue its accumulation), and of course your relationship with God. When you allow money to be your god, you find out rather quickly that it makes a poor god. It becomes a jealous god that has but one goal: to destroy anything in your life that doesn’t believe as it does. That’s not love. Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13. Jesus told us the two greatest commandments we can keep are love God and love others. He says nothing about loving money. Loving money interferes with our ability to love God and love others.
* God created us to love people and use things, but materialism leads us to love things and use people. When possessions and money hold the control of the heart, God has lost His authority. Money is necessary. We need it for food and shelter. But we cannot let it take over our life and destroy our character… the New Creation created according to Christ… “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Co 5:17.
* Have a blessed Lenten season! Oh, & imitate Christ, would you? Rev. Don Sonntag
* Maybe you have never heard about a little book written five hundred years ago called “The Imitation of Christ” – It is a gentle book, filled with the spirit of the love of God – it has brought understanding and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages, and provided them with a source of heart-felt personal prayer. These meditations on the life and teachings of Jesus, written in times even more troubled and dangerous than our own, have become a guide and inspiration to many throughout the centuries. In it Thomas à Kempis in a loving but direct way teaches the readers to follow Christ in their daily life. If I dare to summarize this gem I would say that Thomas à Kempis tells those who read it to tune their character to the life of Christ – to imitate Christ daily in their life.
* As in the previous blogs, we are addressing those things in our life that can destroy our character. The topic today is materialism. When we crave obsessively for possessions our interest cannot be focused on the Kingdom of God – God and other people.
* When Paul addresses false teachers in 1 Timothy 6:4-10, he says that, besides other issues, one of the signs of serious problems regarding the foundation for a godly life is that for false teachers “…religion is just a way to get rich.” This is a serious problem for many Christians. Their focus has shifted from glorifying God and seeking the wellbeing of the community that surrounds them to getting rich. That kind of “material-centered life” destroys the very soul of a Christian.
* It is easy to understand that human beings have the deep-seated desire to focus of material things, after all we are carbon-based beings… We have a body that is physical matter.
* Paul continues in 1 Timothy 6:4-10 saying that “…true religion with CONTENTMENT is great wealth, after all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
* It is very hard to deal with, to get along with people who center their lives on material things & money. The reason is simple: In any relationship – family, business, friendship – they are always looking for ways to get something – and often take advantage of others even if it is by dishonest means. Remember the commandment? “You shall not steal.” What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
* We need money, but if we believe that money will bring us happiness, we will always be disappointed. When we love money, we learn it is an empty love and that it destroys our character. You see, money can’t love you back. It is incapable of reciprocating your love. God loves you… people love you.
* Loving money & material possessions is expensive. It can cost you your family, friends, precious time (as you pursue its accumulation), and of course your relationship with God. When you allow money to be your god, you find out rather quickly that it makes a poor god. It becomes a jealous god that has but one goal: to destroy anything in your life that doesn’t believe as it does. That’s not love. Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13. Jesus told us the two greatest commandments we can keep are love God and love others. He says nothing about loving money. Loving money interferes with our ability to love God and love others.
* God created us to love people and use things, but materialism leads us to love things and use people. When possessions and money hold the control of the heart, God has lost His authority. Money is necessary. We need it for food and shelter. But we cannot let it take over our life and destroy our character… the New Creation created according to Christ… “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Co 5:17.
* Have a blessed Lenten season! Oh, & imitate Christ, would you? Rev. Don Sonntag