October 26 – Proverbs 15:16-17; 30:7-9
Main Focus: Money: Materialism vs Contentment
Material Possessions are Gifts from God for our enjoyment.
Proverbs 3:9-10 says: “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Material possessions are good gifts from a good God, especially as an outflow of diligence and wisdom. Followers of Jesus are called to be shaped by Jesus’ sacrifice and simplicity. When we consider the story of the Bible, we see that material possessions were originally designed to bless God’s people.
Perhaps this unsettles you. Perhaps you’ve toiled under a Christian view that sees material possessions as intrinsically evil—or not spiritual. Maybe you feel low-grade guilt when enjoying things like a new car, or a good meal. Pause and consider this: God’s original design was to materially bless his people.
Material Possessions are also a significant means of turning us away from God.
Proverbs 11:28 warns that it’s possible to replace trust in God with trust in wealth: “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.”
Proverbs 23:4-5 shows how easily we can cross the line into over-prioritizing wealth: “Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.”
While material possessions can be good gifts from God for our enjoyment, we must be careful, they can also become a significant means of turning us away from him. It is possible to be wealthy and godly, but wealth also presents serious temptations to become ungodly. So, while we may enjoy the material blessings God provides, we must carefully guard our hearts, remembering that only God—not our possessions—is worthy of our ultimate trust and worship. We must recognize the spiritual dangers that accompany wealth or material possessions.
Paul says in Philippians 4, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Paul says he could live with much or with little because his satisfaction wasn’t tied to his material condition—it was anchored in God. Have you learned contentment? Do you struggle with contentment?
Discussion questions
– Read Proverbs 3:9-10 and Proverbs 10:22. According to Proverbs, how should we understand the relationship between wealth, hard work, and God’s blessing?
– Read Proverbs 23:4-5 and 1 Timothy 6:17. What specific warnings does Proverbs and Paul give about the spiritual dangers of wealth?
– When you reflect on your own view of money, do you tend to see it more as a blessing to enjoy or a danger to guard against? Why?
– Are there areas in your heart where material possessions have become a source of trust or security, rather than God Himself? How does this realization make you feel?
– Read Proverbs 30:7-9. How can this prayer for neither riches nor poverty be seen as a model for our own prayers today? Is it possible to genuinely pray for neither riches nor poverty, especially in a society that often equates success with wealth?
– How can we ensure we do not forget God when we are prosperous?
– What does it mean to “profane the name of my God” in the context of both poverty and prosperity?
– Read Hebrews 13:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:18. What do these passages say about gratitude and contentment? What specific steps could you take this week to cultivate contentment and break the cycle of materialism in your life?