materialism

[Walkingchipmunk]

The spouse and I are discussing our material possessions. The question is NOT should we own this or that, but do material possessions inhibit our relationship with Christ?

For this: Christ's sell everything and give the money to the poor, the camel through the eye of the needle, and His blessing of the woman with the oil & empty jars.

Against: we need to cook and clean, and eat, drive to work, fix things, and raise a family in America.

Thoughts:
1)there is a line each of us must draw. things I need vs. things I want/like. For everyone this line is in a different place.

2) seems like the more one is lead to sacrifice, the greater the blessing--think Heidi Baker and other faith greats, both past and present.

So, I am looking for the theory, not where to draw the line.

This is kinda rough and needing refining.

Your thoughts please!

WC

 

[Krummholz]

Well, defining what you "want" versus what you "need" would seem the place to start.

Another avenue might be to analyze your willingness to give something up, apart from your wants/needs, should the need arise.

Anecodatally, my wife and I experienced this in a recent move, where we got the opportunity to make that very decision on many items (to move or not to move). Moving *might* be a good way to tell.

 

[Walkingchipmunk]

We have moved a few times, and will undoubtedly move again. So with an eye toward that, stuff moves through. We've both seen our families with abundance sickness. So accumulating stuff is off the list. There is a real freedom in giving things away. Red the book on spiritual disciplines (foster) and the thoughts on simplicity spoke volumes--stuff we 'knew' but never put to words.

This is so freeing.

WC

 

[Andry]

One of my favourite quotes is from E.B. White (author of Charlotte's Web):

“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”

Nowhere in Scripture does it say Christ sold everything that he owned. Quite the contrary, he appointed his disciple Judas to be the treasurer. Whether he was materially "rich" or "poor" was beside the point. What mattered, IMHO, was that he had all things, at all times, to do whatever he had to do, that he was appointed to do. IOW, when someone needed healing, he was healer; when someone needed to be comforted, he was the comforter, etc. etc.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to "seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." What are "all these things"? All the things you need, at the times you need them, in all that you need them, in order for you to seek the Kingdom of God.

Just my thoughts.

 

[dayhiker]

Things can tie us to a place as the more we have the more work it is to move.

I don't see anything wrong with things. Paul says all things are pure. God created the material things are made of. But the main reason I don't see any problem with things is when I buy something, I'm putting people to work. That is a good things in my mind. If we all became ascetics then more and more of us would be out of work. I don't think I would be able to help too many people if I had limited means of blessings others.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Things can tie us to a place as the more we have the more work it is to move.

I don't see anything wrong with things. Paul says all things are pure. God created the material things are made of. But the main reason I don't see any problem with things is when I buy something, I'm putting people to work. That is a good things in my mind. If we all became ascetics then more and more of us would be out of work. I don't think I would be able to help too many people if I had limited means of blessings others.

Excellent perspective.

 

[only a sojourner]

Walkingchipmunk, I am discussing related issues on a thread I've titled A Christian Economy in the General Political Discussion subforum