Are You Materialistic?
Signs of Materialism
Are you trapped by a poverty of not enough?
Materialism is not primarily what you have, it is an attitude. Keep in mind that money (and stuff) is not the root of all evil, what is? The love of it. The love of it and loving it is different than having it. You can have it and not love it, and not have it and love it.
Now let me give you some keywords to help you do a little personal inventory.
- Discontentment.
Discontentment is loosing appreciation for what you have. That new or improved thing that you were convinced would bring you happiness, shortly after getting it has lost its luster. For example, the 32 inch TV you thought was the bomb a couple of months ago has now become a dud because you saw a 50 inch TV at Costco that would “serve” you better.
Our entire culture is steeped with advertising, and the bottom-line in all advertising is to make you discontent. To make you unhappy and dissatisfied with what you have…and by gosh, you deserve it.
- Anxiety.
What do I mean by this? You no longer just manage your money, you worry about it. You do not simply budget and take care of the details of your money, instead you fret over it.
You're worried about it. You argue about it with your husband or wife, you get mad about it. You hassle over expenditures. It is in your mind, an anxiety.
Our culture is built on credit, so the majority of people in America spend more than they earn. And if you do that, you are going to worry about money, and that's materialism, because you are now preoccupied with money. You are not managing your money it is managing you.
- Covetousness.
This attitude envies what others have. You are not content with your situation; you yearn for something that somebody else has. Your stuff does not seem to you as pleasing as what others have.
- Joylessness.
Simply said, you have no enthusiasm in giving. You experience little joy in sharing with others. Giving to others is a nuisance.
If someone wants to use what you have, you get upset. If someone comes to you and presents a need, you are annoyed about the fact that they think you should give.
You are cynical about almost every situation and overly concerned about whether the cause or need is real and valid.
- Greediness.
Wanting more is the basic definition and in that sense it is like covetousness, but greediness is different than coveting. Coveting is wanting what somebody else has, greed is wanting what you don't have.
It is your personal desire for more, and more, and more. It is a closet full of clothes or shoes that you never wear. It is a new car every two years. It is trying some “get rich quick” scheme rather than earning an “honest wage”.
- Idolatry.
What is idolatry? It means that you are sacrificing your relationship with Christ and His Cause for things. You are worshiping or overemphasizing things.
Again, remember, materialism isn't what you have, it is the attitude you have. If you find yourself identify with some of the attitudes listed above, submit those areas to Christ and ask Him to forgive you for being influenced by our culture. Ask Him to give you a new attitude regarding money and stuff, and begin to practice generous giving.