January 15, 2019
Mood Poisoning: Purging the False Promises of Materialism (Part 1)
 
Below you will find an audio of the devotion being read for you, followed by the written devotion. Listen on the go, listen as you read along, or enjoy reading it without the audio. God bless!
 
 
“You say, ‘If I had a little more I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” – Charles Spurgeon
 
The Price of Admission
As Americans, we are constantly told we need the latest and greatest. For some of us, our calendar revolves around seasons of the year where we spend outrageous amounts of money, on things like birthdays, holidays, and vacations. We have seasons of saving up as much as we can, so when the season of spending rolls around, we have something besides credit cards to purchase things with, at least that is the hope.
 
Pastor Groeschel mentions how “millions of people are caught up in the dizzying cycle of work, spend, charge, work harder, spend more, charge more. It’s a pervasive, insidious disease, especially in our Western culture and particularly in the US. And it starts at a young age. Kids used to beg for the latest Barbie, G.I. Joe, catcher’s mitt, or ten-speed bike. Now they expect iPods, cell phones, and designer clothes, like the mini-adults retailers want them to be.” (1)
 
He also talks about how his parents wanted him to be cool at school, but refused to buy him a $50 Izod shirt. He recalls how he and his mother attempted to solve this problem. His mother found a great deal on a pair of Izod socks at a garage sale, and proceeded to remove the logo from the socks and sew it on a plain shirt that only costed $10. This seemed to work until someone at school pointed out that the Izod logo on his shirt was crooked.
 
I want to say in the outset that I am not against people prospering financially. I rejoice in people prospering, as long as their pursuit of wealth does not distort their priorities. The toxic aspect of materialism is the false premise that more money and better things are the two tickets that will grant us admission to a life of happiness, peace, and joy.
 
I want to share a couple paragraphs from Groeschel that capture these sentiments well:
 
“Our culture oozes with toxic materialism. A lying spirit tells the masses…if we have the right labels, the new gadgets, the best techno-toys, the latest luxury cars, the nicest custom-built houses, and the fattest 401k’s, then we’ll be happy, secure, and significant.
 
Like a smoker enjoying his cigarette, knowing that each puff damages his lungs, many people willingly inhale the toxic lies of materialism at the expense of their souls’ health and their effectiveness for Christ in the world. Instead of living with substance and strength, they ingest the lies of materialism and suffer from mood poisoning. When our moods and emotional needs depend on acquiring more possessions, more money, more toys, then we’re in for a toxic shock when we find our hands full and our hearts empty. Jesus asked, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matt. 16:26).”
 
The Honeymoon Is Over
Unfortunately, the toxic lies of materialism often grip a marriage from day 1. In fact, we often dive into debt before the marriage even begins, trying to pay for an extravagant wedding. Again, I am not against doing the best we can, but we should live within our means.
 
If a couple is not steeped in debt before the wedding, they often spend far too much on an exotic vacation for their honeymoon. Again, if the couple can afford it, more power to them. I will celebrate with them. But the lie that we must go in debt purchasing a luxurious honeymoon is toxic. When the couple returns home, those pleasant memories have the potential of quickly turning to arguments and stress about the financial pressures that now exist.
 
There is much more freedom and lasting happiness to exercise prudence and do something you can afford.
 
Roxy and I were blessed by her parents to stay in a timeshare for a week in Seaside for our honeymoon. Along with the room being paid for, we used the $300-$400 cash that was given to us at our wedding to pay for food and entertainment that week. We had a fantastic time of relaxing and enjoying our honeymoon without putting anything on a credit card.
 
If couples don’t go in debt on their wedding or their honeymoon, they can often go in debt trying to have nice furniture, homes, cars, and the other things that their parents have, but have worked 30 years to attain.
 
I can’t say I am any happier now than I was early in our marriage when we lived in our apartment with very little spending money, donated furniture, and the occasional Little Caesar’s Pizza. Our budget was about half of what it is now, thirteen and a half years later.
 
There is tremendous freedom in finding contentment, peace, and joy within our means. We avoid so much stress when we can appreciate what we have and buy only what we can afford.
 
Profit Margin
The truth is that lasting happiness, peace, and joy – do not come from material things, but from Jesus Christ alone. If it came from things, all the wealthy of the world would be perfectly content and at peace with life. Instead, we often hear of ugly divorces, custody disputes, celebrities in and out of rehab, and a sad rate of accidental and intentional suicides among the financial elite. Lifestyles of the rich and famous is not all it is cracked up to be.
 
Having said that, there is nothing wrong with being wise and prudent. There is a measure of security and stability in managing your finances well. It is good to be a good provider for your family and bless the Kingdom of God.
 
“Someone said it’s not wrong to have things. It’s wrong when your things have you. If you fight hard against the current of commercialism, you can swim to better waters. Stop believing the lie. More money and things will not make your life any more meaningful. But the Son of God, the risen Christ, will.” (3)
 
May God help us to achieve a proper balance in our thinking and our pursuit of money. May we be liberated from unrealistic and deceptive thinking, and see money in its proper context, where, instead of serving money, we use money to serve God.
 
Source:
(1) Groeschel, Craig. Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World (p. 163). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
(2) Groeschel, Craig. Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World (p. 164). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
(3) Groeschel, Craig. Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World (p. 176). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.