Materialism: Illegal activities

Kings of Israel were specifically warned not to accumulate horses, wives, and gold.  Why? Because these would then become the centre of the king's gravity.

Solomon had seen his father's bad example.  Prosperous King David, spoiled by getting everything he wanted, did not deny himself one more possession - another man's wife.

It's not how much we make that matters.  It's how much we keep.

We can be content with the necessities of life because the deepest, most satisfying delights God gives us through creation are free gifts from nature and loving relationships with people. After your basic needs are met, money begins to diminish your capacity for these pleasures rather than increase them. Buying things contributes absolutely nothing to the heart's capacity for joy. There is a deep difference between the temporary thrill of a new toy and a homecoming hug from a devoted friend. Who do you think has the deepest most satisfying joy in life, the man who pays $100 for a fortieth floor suite downtown and spends his evening in the half-lit, smoke filled lounge impressing strange women with ten dollar cocktails, or the man who chooses the Motel 6 by a vacant lot of sunflowers and spends his evening watching the sunset and writing a love letter to his wife? - John Piper

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Materialism and Ecclesiastes

The book of Ecclesiastes is the most powerful report of materialism ever written. Solomon recounts his attempts to find meaning in pleasure, laughter, alcohol, folly, building projects, and the pursuit of personal interests, as well as in amassing slaves, gold and silver, singers, and a huge harem to fulfil his sexual desires.  He achieved the ultimate in material success and international fame living by this philosophy --

Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. Ecclesiastes 2:10

The more Solomon had , the more he was tempted to indulge --

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.

There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. Ecclesiastes 5:10 - 15

Life Frame

5 Things the Bible Says About Materialism in Ecclesiastes

Solomon Tried Materialism

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Ecclesiastes 3

Materialism: "If only"

"If only I had more money, I'd give more."  Unfortunately, those who give little when they have little almost never increase their percentage of giving when they become wealthy.

In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis builds a great story about this around Edmund sampling and getting carried away with the Turkish Delight.

An August 2013 article entitled, "The Poorest Rich Kids In The World," Rolling Stonemagazine's Sabrina Rubin Erdely exposed the horrific details behind two teenagers who are the heirs to one of the United States's largest family fortunes. Patterson and Georgia Inman, age fifteen, are the children of Walker Inman, the nephew of tobacco heiress Doris Duke. The Inman twins are set to inherit a trust fund worth one billion dollars when they turn twenty-one, yet both teens recently spent three months in a mental hospital to deal with the trauma of their horrific childhood.

Christina Crawford was less than a year old when she was adopted by a glamorous movie star, actress Joan Crawford. One of four adopted children, Christina grew up in the lap of luxury, however she claims to have been a victim of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her mother for most of her life. Her tell-all memoir, Mommie Dearest, was published two years after her mother died. It was later made into a movie starring Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford and Diana Scarwid as Christina.

Anthony Marshall is the only son of renowned socialite and charitable philanthropist Brooke Astor. The Astor family is one of the richest and most respected blue blood families in the United States. Sadly, their family history of parental abuse and neglect is a long legacy that still sends shockwaves throughout New York City high society to this day.

Casey Johnson is the daughter of a socialite mother, Sale Johnson, and Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets, and the great-grandson of a Johnson & Johnson founder. Casey grew up surrounded by wealth and opulence. She attended the best private schools, rubbed elbows with childhood friends Nikki and Paris Hilton, drove expensive cars, and got her first Chanel handbag at age ten. Yet underneath all of the wealth dwelled a sad child whose mother largely ignored her, and who started using hard drugs by the time she was barely in her teens.

Leigh Horowitz is the daughter of fashion giant Tommy Hilfiger's Chief Executive Officer, Joel Horowitz. Leigh grew up with staggering wealth, attended posh private schools, and took lavish vacations. Unfortunately, her father worked long hours and travelled extensively, so by the time she was just sixteen, Leigh was totally addicted to drugs.

Mackenzie Phillips is the daughter of John Phillips, a member of The Mamas & the Papas, and his first wife, Susan Adams. Mackenzie got her start when she was just twelve years old, when she earned a role in American Graffiti, which then lead to a role on the popular sitcom One Day At A Time. Though she achieved financial and professional success at a very young age, she was unable to appreciate her fame due to her additions to drug and alcohol. She claims to have tried drugs with her musician father when she was just eleven years old, and that her dad had actually helped inject her with cocaine when she tried it for the first time as a child.

Materialism is the mother of anxiety. No wonder Christ's discourse on earthly and heavenly treasures is immediately followed by His admonitions not to worry about material things.  People lay up treasures on earth rather than in heaven not only because of greed and selfishness, but also because of fear and insecurity.

The hopes of a person with primary investments in the stock market will rise and fall with the market.  In contrast, the one whose hope is in God will be devastated only if God fails - and He never does.

Paul said we should --

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.    1 Timothy 6:17

Solomon made a profound observation when he noted --

People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep. - Ecclesiastes 5:12

The more we have the more we have to worry about.






MATERIALISM: BLOWING THE WHISTLE

Materialism and Its Discontents