Materialism

I just finished reading a wonderful article in Think Magazine. This article was written by Brad Harrub. The bolded parts are his words, the unbolded parts are my thoughts.

"You can't parent if you are never home." Parenting is a high calling- a truly blessed calling. I love reading Ps. 127:4-5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. A quiver full of children is a blessing, according to God's Word! FYI, a quiver=12!
Our society is extremely materialistic. This has flooded into the church. At camp one year I heard a lesson that I'll never forget. The speaker said that as the world becomes more immoral, so does the church. The only difference is that as long as the church is 3 steps behind the world on the immorality scale, we feel like we're holy enough. What does that mean? What the world was doing 10 years ago, the church is doing now.
When it comes to materialism, it seems we're quick to follow the world. We're willing to hand our children to the world in order to keep up with the people around us. Oftentimes two parents work all day, leaving their children to daycares and schools (and Bible class on Sunday morning- hoping that will be enough Bible for the week.)But this goes completely against God's Word. Deut. 6:5-6 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." How can we teach the children to love the Lord their God with all of their hearts souls and might- as we sit in our homes, walk along the way, lie down, and rise up- if we're never at home? Even more amazing, what is being taught to them as they sit, lie down, rise up, and walk along the way? Can we even know if we're hardly ever with them?

The time has come for Christians in America to turn away from materialism and embrace lives of contentment. AMEN!!! I am so thankful for my family. I love my parents, and daily I'm reminded of their non-materialistic world view. I'm so thankful that my mom gave up the thought of a career, and never looked back, when I was born. I'm thankful that she was with me all day as I grew up in order to teach me the things of God. She has placed my soul higher on the scale of worth than riches, fame, new cars, vacations, etc. We've never owned a new car, but we were always able to go where we needed to when we needed to. We don't own a house, but we have always had a rather spacious roof over heads. We haven't taken a whole lot of expensive vacations, but we find so much joy in our day to day lives.

You know what's funny, and somewhat ironic? My parents have never been materialistic. But I have never hurt for anything. In fact, I have far more than I need. Sometimes I look in my closet and wonder why any human would need so many clothes. This applies to every area of my life. Yet my parents never compromised with the world in order to have more money, and more things. They're not in debt, they can happily know that their children are headed to Heaven, yet they are blessed abundantly with material things.

Are the children in the church- in Christian homes- worth giving up for a few years of riches on this earth?

True success is teaching our children the way to Heaven in such a manner that they stay on that path even into adulthood!
Christian parents must stop using worldly parameters for measuring success.
Do you know what doesn't impress me? That new boat or house at the expense of a child's soul. But it doesn't really matter what impresses me. What do you think God is impressed with? Yes, true success is raising Godly children to go out into the world and convert more to the Kingdom. If you gain the world, the riches, the "toys", the fame, the titles...yet you lose your children's souls to Satan- what was your life worth? True success is raising Godly children. Children are the only things you have on this earth that you can take to Heaven with you. Don't compromise with the world and leave them behind.