Digital Devices

I publish the monthly newsletter for our church; in it, I have a small column entitled, "Digital Devices." "Digital Devices" is a continuing segment that aims to provide readers with God-honoring digital and online tools to aid in their pursuit of knowing and loving God and His people. Having a little more space to fill, I wrote the following:

Recently, I have been researching e-readers like the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble Nook. I love the idea of having so many books at my fingertips at one time, as well as the frugality of acquiring many novels and study materials at half price; however, I do realize that, while the reader may pay for itself in savings, it would also cause me to purchase more books. Researching this product and talking about it with others has caused me to reflect on my conflicting desires. On the one hand, I really would like to possess "the latest thing;" on the other hand, I do not want to feel cheated and would like to know that I am getting my money's worth by not spending more than someone else did. All of this led me to wonder, "How has the evolution of electronics caused us to view wealth and materialism?"

While looking to shed some light on my question, I stumbled upon a dictionary topic about this very subject in the Holman Bible Dictionary by D. Glenn Saul. In it, he discusses the Bible and wealth as well as the Bible and materialism:

The Bible has two basic attitudes toward wealth. In the first place, wealth is acknowledged to be a blessing from God. This can be seen from the witness of the Old Testament. God chose Abram and promised to bless him and make his name great (Genesis 12:1-3). In the process, Abram became rich (Genesis 13:2). Further, we are told that God blessed Isaac; and he became very rich (Genesis 26:12-14). Solomon's wealth was seen as a sign of God's favor (1 Kings 3:13; 1 Kings 10:23). Job, too, was blessed by God, and his wealth increased greatly (Job 42:12).

Saul goes on to say that poverty is not a sign of God's disfavor. "In the parable of the seed and the sower Jesus warned that riches and the pursuit of pleasure may keep some from maturing in the faith. ...Personal worth and success are not to be measured in terms of material wealth or possessions. This is different from the way that the world views possessions." 

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Clearly, we are supposed to be different from the world in this. It seems that now, more than ever, we face the temptation of wanting "the latest thing." Who wants a second generation version when the fourth generation was just released? Who wants a 36-inch television, when your neighbor has a 50-inch one? Should I upgrade to a Blu-ray Disc player? We say that money has no power over us, then we contradict that with our lives.

When I was sixteen, I dreamt about the fancy cars I wanted. I knew that having a brand-new, shiny vehicle would somehow give me that sigh of contentment. Instead, I got the '94 Geo Metro passed down to me. What a blow.

Now, I realize that there are much better things I could spend my money on than a new car that loses its value so quickly. Yet, I wonder if I consistently invest my money in the things Christ sees value in.

For a while members of the Jerusalem church pooled their resources for the common good (Acts 2:44-45). To provide for the needs of those in their midst, owners of land and property sold it and gave it to the apostles (Acts 4:34-35). While this kind of sharing may not be a requirement, it provides a model for the responsibility that Christians have for one another.

Saul reminds us that Jesus viewed money or wealth as a spiritual power, "identifying wealth as an object of worship, a rival to God." He also reminds us of the encouragement in Hebrews to "Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have (Hebrews 13:5, NRSV)." We have learned that the problem is not with money—the problem is with us. We can easily be led astray by the attraction that we find in the things money can buy. "Paul may be implying that people who love money will resort to all kinds of things to get it. The desire for money has a way of enslaving the person seeking it."  Romans 6:6 tells us that "our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

Christians are to learn to possess money and not be possessed by it. Wealth is to be channeled into ministries that serve people and spread the gospel. The pursuit of wealth as an end in itself, or the desire for luxury and personal indulgence are evidences of materialism. Christians must take a stand against the persistent idolatry of materialism that focuses on the material stuff of this world and not God.