The American way is no more about equality than Hitler was a friend of the Jews.  The American way is about getting to the top of whatever ladder you are on and that may just have to include stepping on a few people to get there (Proverbs 28:20).  Businesses are not about serving the customer, but about the profit margin.  Marriages even sometimes have premarital agreements about who keeps the money and property when the marriage fails.  Our culture does not offer contentment.  Our culture tempts one to desire more.  Those that love abundance can’t be pleased (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

     We have movies today that are interesting when considering our culture.  Consider for a moment the movie “Get Rich or Die Trying”.  (I have to admit ignorance to the ultimate story line, but the title is defining of the thoughts of many in our country).  I typed “get rich” into the Yahoo search engine on the internet and came up with 288,000,000 websites.  If you watch even a little television, you’ve noticed the ads where you can work from home and make millions by ordering a book and following a course (or a scheme similar to this).  People are interested in getting rich and doing so as quickly as possible.  We must weigh however, what the love of money can do in relation to someone’s soul.

     In our culture of abundance one thing that is glaringly clear is the desire of more money.  The Apostle Paul wrote Timothy saying: “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness…  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (I Timothy 6:6-11; 17-19).

     As Paul pointed out to Timothy, the love of money is the root of all evil.  The “American Dream” of wealth has many prices.  One may have to neglect their family responsibilities to work towards the bigger house and better car.  One might have to lie, cheat, and steal to get their foot in the door to financial bliss.  These things and all of the other prices one may have to pay to gain the money they love so much ultimately will cost their soul.  This is what occurred to the “Rich Young Ruler” who would not part with his possessions at the instruction of Christ to do so (Matthew 19:16-22).  The true riches are in Christ (Revelation 3:17-18).

     We are instructed to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).  The love of money places another love before God.  Paul instructed the brethren in Ephesus that a covetous man is also an idolater (Ephesians 5:5).  In relation to the love of money and possessions, Jesus said: “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13).  Matthew records our Lord teaching the same point (Matthew 6:24).  Matthew then has recorded for us a follow up statement that teaches the same thing that Paul did to Timothy (as we learned earlier in this article): “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment” (Matthew 6:25)?  While our culture presses the want for more money and possessions, there are other things the culture of abundance promotes we partake in and don’t think about.

     We want more.  That is our culture.  Have you noticed when you go to a fast food restaurant that they now have meals that can be made larger.  You can have the biggie fries, the biggie drink, or you can go for the extra biggie.  Instead of a 20 oz. drink, why not go for the “big gulp”?  Eating too much is wrong (I’m not condemning a biggie drink or fry, but we can go too far in eating).  Food can become an idol just as much as money can.  We need to eat to live, not live to eat.  A glutton is no better than a drunkard (Deuteronomy 21:20 and Proverbs 23:21).  It’s okay to have the large instead of the extra biggie on occasion.

     Even marriages end because people want to add more to the relationship.  Some have this mindset that they cannot be pleased sexually with one mate.  Our culture approves of this.  In fact, it is almost a game to some.  Modern popular culture icons make magazine covers and are glorified when they commit adultery.  This is not pleasing to God (Matthew 19:3-9).  Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman to last as long as they both are living (Romans 7:1-3).  Sexual desires are to be satisfied within that marital relationship (I Corinthians 7:2-3 and Hebrews 13:4).

     We cannot be pleased with the ordinary, we want the enlarged versions.  I remember getting a deal on my first “big screen” TV.  I don’t even watch much TV, but it was cool to get a bigger one.  Why?  I can see a 25” screen just as well as one twice that size.  Well, I too fell for that bigger is better concept.  Why watch the football game on the small screen when the game can be viewed on the big screen.  We need to learn to be as Paul: “…I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).  After all, in the end our big screen TV’s, our big houses, our big toys, etc. are going to perish with this world if they don’t end up as trash before then (II Peter 3:10).  We need to learn to spend more of our time with wanting to do more for the Lord than wanting to gain the bigger and better things of this world.

     Our lives are supposed to be about Christ (Colossians 3:4).  Serving our Lord should be first for us in all things (Colossians 3:1-3).  We can enjoy the things we are blessed to have (I Timothy 6:17), but to allow those things to become our god is going to make us fail.  If we want to have an abundance of something it ought to be eternal life we have as that goal (John 10:10).  We ought to have an abundance of love and affection towards our brethren (II Corinthians 2:4; 7:15).

     Let’s revolt against our culture of abundance.  Let’s begin to allow our lives to become about what pleases the Lord instead of so much consideration on how we can “have more” to please ourselves.  Let’s realize there are things we can enjoy, but we cannot allow those things to take over our lives.  Make application in your life from these words of our Lord: “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).