Moving from Materialism to Contentment

You cannot serve God and wealth.
–Matthew 6:24

When you read the word materialism, what images come to mind? Maybe you think of billionaires vacationing on the French Riviera or lounging around in their New York City penthouses. Or maybe you think of somebody who has no interest in spiritual things–they’re too busy making money or spending money to have time for God.

We tend to think of materialism as the opposite of spirituality. In fact, materialism is defined as “a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things.” But I would argue that materialistic people are not unspiritual. We all have a spiritual hunger inside us. Materialistic people simply satisfy that hunger in a different way–instead of pursuing God, they pursue money and possessions.

That’s why the apostle Paul said greed “amounts to idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Idolatry is worshiping anything or anyone other than the true God. When we look to money rather than God to satisfy our needs, money becomes our god. Jesus made the same point in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

One reason God hates idolatry is that chasing after false gods can lead us to harm. That’s certainly true of materialism. One writer said, “Humans have a particularly strong and, at times, irrational obsession with possessions. Every year, car owners are killed or seriously injured in their attempts to stop the theft of their vehicles–a choice that few would make in the cold light of day. It’s as if there is a demon in our minds that compels us to fret over the stuff we own, and make risky lifestyle choices in the pursuit of material wealth. I think we are possessed.”

Whether we have a lot or a little, many of us are possessed by our possessions–and the result can be disaster. Materialism robs us of the abundant life God wants us to experience both now and in eternity. This week, we’re going to discover how to conquer the mountain of materialism by putting money in its proper perspective and learning to be content.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Moving from Materialism to Contentment,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2021.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “materialism,” accessed April 29, 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/materialism; Bruce Hood, “Do We Possess Our Possessions or Do They Possess Us?” Aeon, October 16, 2019, https://aeon.co/ideas/do-we-possess-our-possessions-or-do-they-possess-us.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.