Fighting a Materialistic Heart - Dean Franklin


Each year around the Thanksgiving table, we would write down a few things we were thankful for on a paper feather and then use them to decorate the turkey centerpiece. It was foundational to the holiday of Thanksgiving for me, but even more so, it cultivated a heart of thankfulness for the rest of my life. 

    As I have gotten older I have noticed that the months of November and December are quite ironic. We spend all of November giving thanks, then in December (or even the day after Thanksgiving) we run to the store to get the best sale. It is a clear indication of the materialistic hearts of man and the culturewe have created. Even our social media accounts are inundated with advertisements that have been pinpointed to our desires. Whether we like it or not, we are a materialistic society, obsessively focused on material things. So how do we fight against this materialistic culture—in ourselves, in our families,and in our churches? 

 

1. We fight with godly thankfulness

Writing lists of thankfulness is great! But we must know towhom we are directing our thanks—that is essential. In our family devotions we have been discussing with our children what to be thankful for, and even I have struggled at times to think of things for which I am thankful. This is a clear indicator that thankfulness is not innate, but rather something that must be cultivated by the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we must practice thankfulness more than just in November. (1 Thess. 5:16-18) The Psalms are a wonderful reminder of where we are to direct our thanks. One example is found in Psalm 105:1 which writes, “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!”Thankfulness is the foundational piece to fighting against our material-driven hearts and the world which stimulates our craving for “more”.

 

2. We fight with godly stewardship

For the vast majority, God has abundantly blessed us with more than we need. In giving us these blessings, God furthermore calls us to be good stewards of what He has given. One of the key elements of being a good steward is generosity—which begins by knowing the source “from whom all blessings flow.” Do we openly acknowledge that God has given us everything we have? Or do we, at times,claim it is mine, and I have earned this? Cultivating a heart of stewardship and generosity then continues by having aBiblical foundation. Acts 20:35 writes, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  Let’s ask ourselves: “Is our first thought to give?”, “Are we prone to giving what is left over at the end of the month, or do we give our first fruits to the Lord?”, and “Have we used what God has given us well?”

 

3. We fight with godly contentment 

Contentment is being satisfied with what the Lord has provided. Paul writes in Philippians 4:12, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” One of the things that always blows my mind is that Paul (of all people) had to learn how to be content. If he had to learn how to be content, then we must learn how to be content as well. The Psalmist reminds the foundation of our contentment when he writes in Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Being content in the Lord is not something we can earn through grit and determination. True contentment can only be found in the Lord. David could say these words because he found confidence and trust in Lord. Do you have confidence and trust in where the Lord has you and what he has for you?

 

Let us actively fight against the materially obsessed culture, andlet us be a people marked by our thankfulness, generosity, and contentment in the Lord! We must know to whom we are thankful; we must steward His gifts with generosity, and we must be content in where He has us. 

 

 

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