Money IS NOT BAD.  I knew you would like that statement.  There, now that I have your attention, one of the most difficult things to learn in this life is how to be content with what we have.  Let’s face it, we all would enjoy a better job, a nicer car, a little bit more stuff and additional convenience.  As I was back to school shopping I caught what I call the “more bug”  We need more, more and more!  This is not true and this though has the power to absolutely RUIN us!  Why is it that so many of us are dissatisfied with our current circumstances?  Probably because we have been fed the lies that a materialistic culture saturated with marketing breeds.  We are the most marketed culture EVER!

SO NOW that we have established we have this dysfunctional disease called materialism, what do we do to get rid of it??

It’s not how much you have but what you do with what you have.

“…give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,”  Proverbs 30:8

5 Ways to Get Rid Of Materialism

#1 Stop Comparing: One of the foolish things we tend to do is compare our own standing financially with others.  This is as simple as visiting someone’s home and seeing they have “nicer stuff” than you. Their TV is flat screen, their refrigerator is stainless steel, their house has new carpet, and on and on the comparing goes.  What has God blessed you with? Do you feel it is enough? There will always be someone who has nicer things than you do.  It is not about what you have, but how satisfied are you with what you have.

#2 Give First: Try this for 30 days and see if it doesn’t reorient your financial life.  Ask God how much you should give and to whom and then obey.  When you give, you are saying to your money, “you don’t own me and I will not be mastered by you.”  After you give celebrate by telling NO ONE!  Just quietly develop the lifestyle of generosity without the approval of others.  Then you will ensure you are not doing it for man’s approval, but rather for God’s.

#3 Eliminate Entitlement:  You do not DESERVE a new <fill in the blank>.  Entitlement is destroying the financial future of the next generation. Work an honest wage for an honest job and learn to wait for what you want or think you need.  No one owes you anything.  God’s chief purpose for your life is not for you to be rich, but you were born to glorify God with all you have.  This means you must pray to God that he will rid you of thinking you are better than other people.

#4 Pray Continually: Beating materialism on your own is one of the most foolish things you can attempt to do, especially if it is something you have struggled with in the past.  God has to literally root this out of you.  You will have to plead with Him to beat down and subvert your fleshly desires for more things.  The SALE sign may be your worst enemy.

#5 Get Accountability: You will almost always be better at this if you have someone walking along side you.  Is this a problem for you?  If you can’t submit to someone in your finances, you will have problems growing.  How bad do you want to beat this? Don’t justify and call a want a need, you know what that means.

Contentment isn’t easy, but it will only come from a close relationship and dependence on Jesus.

Our Financial Breakthru Series continues Sunday at 217church.  Come explore 4 words that lead to financial break thru:

February 26 – Work / With all your Strength – WATCH THE MESSAGES HERE

March 5 – Give / Give up control

March 12 – Save / Plan for the future

March 19 – Live / With NO regrets

Josh Conn is the founding pastor of 217church, a contemporary church in Mercer County NJ.  217church meets Sundays at 10:30am at Sharon Elementary school in Robbinsville, NJ.  Visit www.217church.com for more information. or watch a weekend message here.