Bryant Wright, Founder, RFTH

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33 

There are so many challenges facing families today and one of the biggest is materialism.

Materialism is a way of thinking that places such great importance on material possessions, that anything else takes a backseat. This can even include spiritual or intellectual pursuits. In other words, materialism is greed – just plain and simple!

Parents, have your kids ever relentlessly pressured and begged for the latest and greatest thing that “all” their friends happen to have? Social media, comparison, and consumer culture impact your home more than you think. The highlight reel of almost everyone’s “stuff” is at our fingertips. Seemingly innocent scrolling on Instagram can quickly turn into comparison, jealousy, and discontentment. To top it all off, advertisers add fuel to the fire by convincing us that every product is the gateway to true happiness.

While most of us would agree that materialism is a concern, few of us are willing to admit that at some level – MOST of us will struggle with materialism. Instead, we often rationalize it as a “concern for the family.” However, this attitude has an unfortunate way of planting dissatisfaction within the family. We see evidence of this in our economic downturns, when families, once able to buy whatever they wanted, are no longer able to buy their way into what they considered “happiness.” When the distraction of “stuff” is taken away, they’re confronted with real life, real issues, and occasionally, real dysfunction.

Jesus has a better idea: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness [as described in the Bible] and all these things shall be added unto you.”

At a glance, this statement almost seems un-American in our consumerism culture. But is Jesus saying that we don’t have to work hard? Absolutely not! We are called to work (see Genesis 2:15). It’s about evaluating our priorities.

And no, our material “stuff” isn’t bad as long as our pursuit of and desire for it remains in check. If you’re struggling with a heart of materialism, ask God today to realign your priorities. Don’t let materialism pull your family apart; ask God to step in.

You see, possessions fade, but God’s Word endures. Choose what shapes your home—before the world does.

DIG DEEPER
Read “How Should a Christian View Materialism?” at GotQuestions.org