“Lust of the eye”

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Let me begin this article by asking you this question; are you materialistic? This means one who is focused on the material, wanting all the possessions they can get. It is also connected with being money-oriented. Knowing this, whether or not one is such, is there anything really wrong with being that way?

One of the dangers that is in the world that we are not to love – is the lust of the flesh (I Jn. 2:16). This is where a person has the desire to gain those things of this world without concern for his/her spiritual well-being. As Jesus stated, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  (Matt. 16:26). This makes it easy to see why materialism is so wrong.

As for the connection with money, Paul told Timothy that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10). If a person is obsessed with making money to the point where his spiritual life suffers and if family suffers, then you know there is a serious problem. Even though we know there is nothing sinful about having money, or even being rich, someone who is materialistic is not living the way the Lord demands.

Something we all might want to ask ourselves, have we been guilty of promoting materialism? When we raise our children by giving them everything they want, are we really teaching them the Biblical concept of it is better to give than receive (Acts 20:35)? Let us also not forget that we don’t want to instill the false notion that you can buy one’s affections, but that true joy comes from the amount of things you have.

When you read through the book of Ecclesiastes, the lesson of focusing on this world is vain and a waste of time. When this life is over, it will not matter how much you own, but how you lived your life for the Lord.  Let’s be aware of the constant temptations that come upon us daily to buy what we can’t afford, to long for what we don’t need, and to over value that which will pass away.

Chuck 

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