Counter Culture: Material Gain Does NOT Equal Happiness
We are constantly bombarded by the material things in our world, and those things promise us easier life and deeper satisfaction. WE ARE BEING CONDITIONED TO COVET WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE. But we must remember that material gain does not grant us happiness.
The mad rush of societies from ancient days until the present is this: we seek riches, luxuries, and pleasures. Our culture teaches that to have more is to live a fuller life. It tells us that without things we cannot be happy. Yet here is a nugget of wisdom we need to remember and encourage one another to teach:
There is not a more wicked thing than a covetous man: for such an one setteth his own soul to sale… and he that is to day a king tomorrow shall die. For when a man is dead, he shall inherit creeping things, beasts, and worms. -Ecclesiasticus 10:9
It is all well and good to enjoy the things God has given us, yet it is easy to be distracted by them and make them our priority. It is prudent for us to remember that the things of this world provide only temporary pleasure. If we put our energies instead into those around us, encouraging each other to live for the Lord, we will have eternal blessings. And imagine how trivial this life will seem after a thousand years have passed on the new Earth. The things of this world pass away, but we are eternal beings and we need to prepare ourselves for that future.
Question for you: In what ways does culture make you place greater importance on Material Gain? What habits help you put material things in their proper perspective?
