Say This
Most American households have closets, basements and toy chests that are overflowing with hundreds—if not thousands of dollars’ worth of stuff. Most of that stuff isn’t really needed, and is rarely even used. Sadly, instead of recognizing this, most families fall into a cycle of replacing old stuff with new, and constantly wanting more.
Americans have so much stuff that we often don’t have enough room for all of it in our homes, and have turned self-storage into a 40 billion dollar a year industry. The truth is that many of us struggle to find contentment in our lives, and have become obsessed with material things.
Watch This
When a businessman is offered the job of a lifetime, he discovers that more does not necessarily mean better.
Ask This
What is something that you really wanted, that ending up being a disappointment? This could be things like a toy, video game, or piece of clothing. (Be sure to have your own example)
Read This
The Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:15-21)
Say This
In this story, Jesus dispels the false belief that more stuff will make us more happy/secure/content. Using barns as a symbol of wealth, he challenged the notion of wanting more when we already have enough. Here are some lessons we can learn from the story:
- Give God The Glory For Material Blessings: The rich man selfishly harvested his crop without acknowledging the Lord as the source of his blessings. James 1:17 tells us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” Every good thing in our lives, (Our faith, our home, our money, our family) comes only from the Lord. Acknowledging His faithfulness, goodness and generosity helps keep us humble, and gives Him glory.
- God's Focus Is Spiritual, Not Financial: In verse 15, Jesus says “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” This not only serves as a warning, but shows the mindset of Jesus Christ that whatever you have in this life does not count for eternity. What matters most is what you store up in heaven.
- Selfishness/Greed Is A Sin. The rich man was greedy, and was more concerned with keeping his wealth than using it to honor God and help those in need. His only concern was his own selfish desires.
Ask This
- What are the things that our family truly needs to survive?
- How has God blessed our family in ways that are more than just “necessities?”
- Is there any part of your life where you tend to “build bigger barns” by constantly wanting more.
- What is a step that each of us could take to work towards being more content?
Say This
Here is a question we need to ask ourselves: Am I ever truly content with what I have, or do I always feel like I need/want more? Author G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “There are two ways to get enough: One is to accumulate more and more, the other is to desire less. Let's ask God to help us become more content and generous, and resist the urge to “build bigger barns” in our lives.
Pray This
Dear God, thank you for the ways that you love and care for our family. You have given us a place to live, clothes to wear, and food to eat. You have also blessed us with a wonderful family, and most importantly have provided the opportunity for our sins to be forgiven through your Son Jesus. Help our family to focus less on material things, and more on being content and looking for ways to generously bless those around us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Ways To Raise Non-Materialistic Kids
Modified from “5 Ways to Raise Non-Materialistic Kids” - by Mariko Zapf
TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT MONEY
Managing money is not part of the U.S. educational system, which means children learn spending habits from their parents. According to the Child Development Institute, teaching kids about money gives them a stronger grasp on how quickly it disappears and also helps them establish more responsible spending and saving habits later in life.
AVOID MATERIAL REWARDS — AND CONSEQUENCES
Material parenting is the practice of showing love or molding a child’s behavior through the giving or removing of stuff. Most of us have done this: We reward kids for good grades and punish them by taking away their electronics. Researchers Marsha L. Richins and Lan Nguyen Chaplin have linked the practice to becoming materialistic as adults, because those rewarded as children will continue to reward themselves with things later in life. By eliminating (or at least reducing) the association between behavior and material rewards or threats, children place less value on things.
SPEND QUALITY TIME TOGETHER
Deep down, what kids want more from their parents than devices and gadgets is their attention and time. Richins advises parents to offer their encouragement, comfort and fun over material things.This involves parents putting down their own devices and distractions and being fully present for their children.
MODEL DISCIPLINED SPENDING AND GENEROSITY
According to the Child Mind Institute, an essential component to teaching children responsible spending habits is for parents to model them. The experts advise grown-ups to stick to a budget, avoid impulse purchases (AKA retail therapy) and set and share financial goals for bigger expenses.
FOSTER GRATITUDE
A study around materialism in children revealed a link between fostering gratitude and decreased materialism, as well as increased generosity.
Younger children can create a poster or collage of what they are grateful for, or keep a “gratitude jar” where family members write down something they are grateful for each week. Children who like to write may enjoy keeping a gratitude journal. Chaplin also advises families to gather around the dinner table to reflect daily on gratitude, which children of all ages can do.