How to get out of the stranglehold of materialism
Materialism develops within man's soul when he constantly fixates upon the splendor of his material possessions. But materialism can only exist in your heart if it has "room to breathe." Otherwise, it suffocates from lack of attention.
Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:16-18).
You see, the more stuff you have, the more time and attention it takes to maintain it. You get to choose who or what is going to fill your soul. If you consider Jesus to be your treasure, your heart will be centered around Him. If, on the other hand, you choose to make material things your treasure, your heart will be primarily focused upon those things.
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American business magnate Ross Perot once said: "If you make a lot of money, if you get out and buy a lot of stuff, it's gonna break ... go to a yacht basin any place in the world. Nobody is smiling, and I'll tell you why. Something broke that morning. The generator's out, the microwave oven doesn't work. Things just don't mean happiness."
People who find themselves in the stranglehold of materialism talk a lot about their possessions. For example, Jesse Duplantis is a minister in Louisiana who boasted, "One of my chandeliers cost more than most homes. I've got 22 chandeliers in the house," which is a 30,000 sq. ft. mansion valued at $55 million. Duplantis asked his followers in 2018 to donate toward his 4th private jet costing $54 million.
Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). If you want to know what is in a person's heart, just listen to him speak. People boast about those things that consume their soul. The Apostle Paul wrote, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:18).
Earlier this summer prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland "thanked Jesus for a dying man's seed offering of a Bentley with a Breitling clock, which he had given in the hope that it would bring healing." Copeland shared "stories about his passion for Breitling watches, of which he owns around 36 coveted timepieces." Scripture informs us: "A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" (2 Peter 2:19). By the way, Copeland's net worth has been estimated at somewhere between $300 million and $750 million.
Author Randy Alcorn posed this important question: "When you leave this world, will you be known as one who accumulated treasures on Earth that you couldn't keep? Or will you be recognized as one who invested treasures in Heaven that you couldn't lose?"
Alcorn also wrote, "It's increasingly common for Christians to ask one another the tough questions: How is your marriage? Have you been spending time in the Word? How are you doing in terms of sexual purity? Have you been sharing your faith? But how often do we ask ... Are you winning the battle against materialism?"
Do you find yourself constantly thinking about material things, or have you been suffocating materialism in your soul by guarding your heart as you fill your mind with Scripture and thoughts about your Savior?
Solomon wrote, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income" (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Likewise, whoever loves material possessions is never satisfied because he is always craving more possessions.
After Jesus rose from the dead, "He breathed on His disciples and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (John 20:22). The Holy Spirit is not only the Third Person of the Trinity, but He is also the breath of God. If you are a believer in Jesus, then your body is temple of the Holy Spirit. And rather than being obsessed with money and material possessions, God wants you to live a Spirit-filled life.
If an obsession with material things has a strong grip on your life today, there are some practical things you can do to suffocate the materialism within your soul. Your thought life is a critical aspect of coming under the control of the Holy Spirit. By the grace of God, make the necessary changes in order to take every thought captive (see 2 Cor. 10:4-5).
Your purchases are another huge factor. Change any unwise purchasing habits. And you may very well need to begin downsizing as you sell or give away a significant portion of your possessions. It really depends upon how much of your soul is consumed with material things, rather than spiritual things.
Paul instructed "the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse" (Colossians 1:2): "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:1-2).
It is a simple formula, but certainly not easy to put into practice. Christian discipleship requires spiritual discipline, mental discipline and financial discipline. Evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-1899) said that believers must be emptied before we can be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Christians must suffocate materialism in order to preserve the precious spiritual oxygen God has placed within us. You will either suffocate materialism in your soul, or it could end up suffocating you to the point of spiritual death. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:10).
Do you find your joy in Jesus, or in your material possessions? If your spiritual life is out of order, you can choose to take the steps necessary to suffocate the materialism that is robbing you of true joy and a close relationship with your Creator.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
