Spirituality and Materialism

Is it possible to be very wealthy and at the same time being spiritually a good Christian? YES! Can a Christian be spiritually good and loving materialism? NO! Materialism stems from greed and anxiety to have material possessions at the expense of spiritual values; so if you love money or being wealthy at all cost there is no way you can perfectly do the work of the Christian. Where the Bible will tell you to give to the poor or the sick (ie people who cannot refund), you will chose to lend the money to a business man for more profit. You will be laying up your treasures on earth where you see with your eyes rather than laying up your treasures in heaven where it will be secure and for eternity. So being wealthy is not what matters here but what matters is what you do with your wealth Matt. 6:19-24; ”Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

There is nothing wrong with having material possessions but everything is wrong when our heart if focused on wealth rather than on God. The passage above was spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ and He has made a distinction between having things and placing an undue importance upon them; when He says do not lay up treasures. We need to work because it is part of our curse (Gen 3:17-19), but the goal of our lives is not to get rich, but to be obedient to God and His commands. Christ in the passage above says it is more important to lay up our treasures in heaven than upon the earth. How can we then lay our treasures in heaven?

The mark of a Christian is that his eyes are on heaven and he measures all his behavior by what effect it will have on heaven. There is something about God and money that makes them tend to mastery. Either you are mastered by money and therefore ignore God or make Him a bellhop for your business, or you are mastered by God and make money a servant of the kingdom. But if either tries to master you while you are mastered by the other you will hate and despise it. This is why Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. So you can only lay up your treasures in heaven if God is your master and your earthly wealth is a servant of the kingdom of God. How? You use your wealth to serve in God’s kingdom rather than piling up for yourself on earth. In Luke 12:33 Jesus tells us how to lay treasures in heaven by giving to the poor rather than accumulating for ourselves “Sell that which ye have, and give alms; make for yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief draweth near, neither moth destroyeth.” Jesus also tells us to give to those who cannot repay us because our reward is in heaven. In other words, when you give freely and generously because you trust Jesus to take care of you, you are laying up treasures in heaven. You will be rewarded at the resurrection of the just; Luke 14:13-14 “But when thou makest a feast, bid the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not [wherewith] to recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed in the resurrection of the just.”

• I want you to realize that God is not condemning us for being wealthy or rich. The question is, “Are you serving those things and committing idolatry by having them be your god?” Money is not bad; it is the love of money that is the root of evil. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1Timothy 6:10). “Charge them that are rich in this present world, that they be not highminded, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the life which is [life] indeed” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).
• The temptation to lay up treasures is a real temptation that we all face from youth to adulthood. Most of the time we wonder that if I could get more money I will buy a house, buy a car, get a Prado or a RAV4, a golden chain, etc. Then we wonder how people will look at us or what people will say about us when they see us with those things. That is the temptation. This temptation is real, and we need to put on the whole armour of God to combat it. Our enemy wants nothing more than to distract us with these temporal pleasures and things of this world so that we do not have an intimate relationship with our Father.
• Where is your treasure? I don’t know where your heart is or what your heart is longing for or serving. Only two people know that, you and God. I know that if you are serving yourself by storing up wealth or popularity or whatever it may be, that will come to an end. It is only temporary. But if you are serving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will not be disappointed. There is an inheritance waiting for you when you go to be with the Lord.

Abraham was a very rich man, but he trusted God first and likewise Solomon did not ask for riches from God but he asked for wisdom to know how to go in and out before the people of Israel. God not only gave him wisdom, He gave him great riches and promised to give him long life if Solomon was obedient ;I Kings 3:11-14 (And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice; behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.)

God wants us to pay attention to the responsibilities of provision, but it should not be at the detriment of God’s glory. He is passionate about our well being (Prov 27:23). In 1 Timothy 5:8 the scriptures tell us that if we do not provide for those who depend on us, then we have denied the Christian faith and we are worse than the infidel. A person who cannot take care of the material needs of his family cannot take care of their spiritual needs. We should not put these things in the first place but God should be in the first place in our life. Riches will come and go but wisdom will stay and only wise people understand the things of God; Prov 23:4,5 “Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For [riches] certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.” It is important to notice that our minds control our heart. Our heart does not control our mind. If we place undue importance upon material possessions, our mind will turn our heart away from Christ and heavenly values. Our possessions will control us instead of us controlling our possessions.

Why should we be worried about material wealth when our God says He will provide for us as wee need? Our life is more than making a living and supplying for our families. Many people are very honest in trying to supply for their families, but they are missing the point that they ought to show their families true values. The true values is Jesus Christ and His ability to take care of your families in all situations. Jesus Christ tells us that we should not be worried, or be overly concerned or anxious about material possessions. Matt.6:25 “Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?” We just need to trust in God and He will provide for us more than the flowers in the field, more than the birds in the sky. We can only trust Him by first serving Him before we try to cloth ourselves. It is very important to look for a church in a given city before looking for a job in that city. That is a mark of faith and God will always supply your needs if you will put Him first. The best heritage or insurance we can leave to our children after death is a Godly heritage not material things because material heritage will not last but spiritual inheritance will last a lifetime, and be passed down to the next generation; Proverbs 27:23,24 “Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [And] look well to thy herds: For riches are not for ever: And doth the crown endure unto all generations?” Eccl.2:18,19 “And I hated all my labour wherein I laboured under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.”

The scriptures therefore teaches us not to be anxious or worried about material things; Matthew 6: 31-34 – “Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” The person who says they are trusting Christ for their material needs, and not working, are not trusting Christ for their material things. Whenever a person trusts Christ, they will always be active. If we don't trust Christ to supply our material needs, we are acting like lost people. How can we expect Christ to supply material things when we haven't trusted Him with spiritual things?

Many saved people believe they must supply their material things, and then try to supply spiritual things. No. You have to first finish with the spiritual things before looking for the material things for Christ says we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the material things will be added unto you.

A young friend and an old classmate of my wife whom I do not know physically wrote to my wife in 2010 that she should assist him with money to open a business which he gave a business plan and the budget; though he never told her what he had for the start before requesting help. In his letter he said if he can establish this business then he will be able to serve God. This young man with more than a decade of absence has never communicated with my wife; and the first letter she receives is a business plan and request for help in order to serve God. This is what many youths today have in their minds. They think others serve God because they are financially up and for them one cannot serve God in poverty. If you cannot serve God in your poverty or with the little you have, then when you will be given more, you cannot serve God. Below is an extract from his letter:

“Dear Madam,

Calvary greetings from … It has been long since you left me in form 4. At present I am a casual office help at … I studied accounting with the association of chartered certified accountant (ACCA). The job satisfaction is not there simply because I went off course. I wish to go back to school not to continue ACCA but to do what my heart was and is after-Nursing. My joy shall be complete when I shall find myself in a theatre room.

At moment I do not have enough money to sponsor myself. I want to set up businesses that will enable me meet my needs. Your contribution to the success of these businesses will be highly appreciated-even a piece of advice. I need your help in my tent making in order to serve our Heavenly Father better. As you lie down at night I pray for more than sleep. I pray for rest. Rest in Him and arise refresh for I need you. Your prayers, your support and your love are important to me. So I pray may your strength match the length of your days. Thank you for your consideration.

Attached: Business Plan” No comment about his prayers or the businesses.

God says we should seek spiritual things first, and then seek material things. It is very important to understand that Christ already knows that we have need of certain material possessions. He wants us to trust Him to supply them for us. He says all these things shall be added unto you. He is not saying that all these things maybe added unto you. We ought to live one day at a time, don't try to worry about all your life today. Even in our Lord’s Prayer; Christ taught us to ask for the daily bread and not tomorrow’s bread, neither does the prayer asks for the stale bread we had to eat yesterday. The only possible bread we can eat is the bread of today. It is not wrong to plan, but it is wrong to plan without Christ. Just live one day at a time, trusting Christ each day.