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Answer
Materialism is defined as “the preoccupation with material things rather than intellectual or spiritual things.” If a Christian is preoccupied with material things, it is definitely wrong. That is not to say we cannot have material things, but the obsession with acquiring and caring for “stuff” is a dangerous thing for the Christian, for two reasons.
First, any preoccupation, obsession, or immoderate fascination with anything other than God is sinful and displeasing to Him. We are to “love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” «and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. », (Deuteronomy 6:5), which is, according to Jesus, the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). Therefore, God is the only one we can (and should) occupy ourselves with habitually. He alone is worthy of our complete attention, love, and service. To offer these things to anything or anyone else is idolatry.
Second, when we concern ourselves with the material world, we are easily drawn in by the “deceitfulness of wealth” «and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. », (Mark 4:19), thinking that we will be happy, fulfilled, or content if only we had more of whatever it is we are chasing. This is a lie from the father of lies, Satan. He wants us to be chasing after something he knows will never satisfy us so we will be kept from pursuing that which is the only thing that can satisfy—God Himself. Luke 16:13 tells us we “cannot serve both God and money.”
They must strive to be content with what they have, as materialism is the complete opposite of contentment. It leads us to constantly seek more, all the while convincing us that this will fulfill all our needs and desires. The Bible teaches us that a person’s “life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” «And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. », (Luke 12:15), and that we should “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” «But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. », (Matthew 6:33).
If materialism could ever satisfy anyone, it would have been Solomon, the wealthiest king in history. He possessed everything imaginable in abundance, yet he discovered it was all meaningless and futile. It did not bring happiness or the fulfillment our souls crave. He stated, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income” «He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. », (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Ultimately, Solomon concluded that we should “fear God and keep His commandments. For this is the whole duty of man” «Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. », (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
