"Do You Love Me More Than "These?" - OUR FIGHT AGAINST MATERIALISM

Many today are obsessed with the latest fashions, electronic gadgets, and so forth. Therefore, each Christian regularly needs to examine his own desires by himself such questions as:  'Have material things become so important to me that I spend more time researching and thinking about the latest cars or fashions than I do preparing  for congregation meetings?  Have I become so preoccupied with the everyday affairs of life that I spend less time praying or reading the Bible?' If we realize that our love for material things is eclipsing our love for the Christ, we should reflect on Jesus' words:  "Guard against every sort of greed."  (Luke 12:15) Why did Jesus give that serious warning?

Jesus stated that "no one can slave for two masters."  He added: "You cannot slave for God and for Riches."  That is because both "masters" require exclusive devotion. We will either "hate the one and love the other" or "stick to the one and despise the other," said Jesus.  (Matthew 6:24)  As imperfect people, all of us need to keep up our fight against "the desires of our flesh," including materialism. -Ephesians 2:3

Fleshly-minded people have difficulty cultivating a balanced view of material things. Why? Because their spiritual senses are dulled.  (Read 1 Corinthians 2:14)  Once their powers of discernment have become clouded, it becomes more difficult for them to distinguish right from wrong.  (Hebrews 5:11-14  As a result, some develop an uncontrolled desire for material things-a desire that can never be fully satisfied.  (Ecclesiastes 5:10)  Thankfully, there is an antidote  to being poisoned by materialistic thinking: a healthy dose of God's Word, the Bible taken on a regular basis.  (1 Peter 2:2)  Just as meditating on divine truths fortified Jesus to reject temptation, so applying Bible principles help  us to fight against materialistic desires.  (Matthew 4:8-10) By doing so, we show Jesus that we love him more than any material thing. 

When Jesus asked Peter:  "Do you love me more than these?"  he was reminding Peter of the need to put spiritual things first in his life. Peter, whose name means "A Piece of Rock," indeed lived up to his name, for he displayed rocklike qualities.  (Acts 4:5-20)  We today are likewise determined to remain steadfast in our love for Christ, keeping secular work, recreation, and material things in their proper place. May our choices in life reflect that we share the sentiments of Peter, who told Jesus:  "Lord, you know I have affection for you." 

Next time: Set Your Heart on Spiritual Treasures

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