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I want to talk about the “culture of more” in which we live. Let’s face it—everywhere we turn these days the message we hear is more stuff, more money, more things will make you happy. Advertising and marketing are all about making you dissatisfied with what you have, with who you are, with where you are, and convincing you that if you had more, you’d really be happy. This is a subtle influence in our culture that creeps into our thinking and our decisions far more than we realize. Not only is it subtle and insidious, it is relentless.
Why do we so easily buy in to this culture of more? Because the enemy of our soul wants to entrap us into this false narrative that bigger, better and faster will make us happy—and he has a lot of help! Your smart phone and computer quickly figure out how to target you with stuff that is specifically directed to your desires.
Did you know that there are more than 2300 verses in the Bible about money? In fact, Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic. That may surprise you, but it’s true that there’s more written in the Bible about money than about prayer and faith combined. So, what does that tell you? It says that our attitudes about money and what it can buy, our stewardship of the money we have, is a key part of our spiritual health and our spiritual growth.
So, we really need to pay attention to what the Bible tells us, right? And let’s start with what Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Randy Alcorn writes, “If you want a heart for something, invest in it.” A simple statement but profound in its impact in our lives. If you invest in, let’s say, a particular company in the stock market, you follow that company, you care whether it goes up or down, that investment has a part of your heart—right?
Well, here’s the thing: If you invest your time and money in giving to others, helping others, supporting the things of the kingdom, your heart will grow for others, for God’s work. There’s a ministry in Kenya that we support here at The Christian Working Woman, providing scholarships for nursing students and things like that, and so we really care about that program, we care about our fellow Christians in Kenya. Our heart is there, we pray for them, because we are invested there.
So, I would encourage you today to take stock of where you’re investing your treasure, whether you’re financially well off or struggling to pay your bills. Ask God to help you be more intentional about investing in God’s kingdom, because that will lead you to increased spiritual growth and vitality.