Christians and Material Pursuit!

“Now godliness and contentment is great gain. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” 1 Tim 6:6- 9.

In this Century, the momentum at which Christians seek and run after material things is frightening. Christians do everything possible to get and have whatever the world has to offer. Nothing goes by without them thinking “I need that like yesterday.” Their pursuit is no longer godly and limited to pilgrimage; rather, it has become “have it all while it is day, for tomorrow we die.” Today, it is undeniable that Christians are literary competing with the world in material pursuit and many times they have appeared faster.

In mockery, someone posted on facebook that Tele-Evangelists should change the title of their programs to “How to become a millionaire.” With gloom, I stand to agree, because these champions are leading the rest in material pursuit and the world can see and feel so.

All of a sudden, in the 21^st Century, we have come to believe the devil’s lie that we need abundance of material things to enjoy life. Today, Christian homes are filled with a lot of unnecessary stuff. Our lockers, closets, cupboard, bedrooms, pantries, and garages/carports are packed with things that we should have given away, sold or thrown a long time ago. Homes literary have no space for people to breathe or maneuver with ease. If only we can be honest with ourselves for once, we would all agree that all the useless bulk hipped in our homes is simply organized garbage. In the case of a fire, our homes have more than enough fuel to burn Rome.

You can't determine materialism by quantity alone; there are other factors that come in play. One or two items more than your friends should not suggest that your pursuit is no longer godly. However, better still the very nature and atmosphere of our conversations betray us.  For us men, our conversation easily shifts from spiritual and family to material things (business/job, plots/houses, gadgets, cars and cash) for the longer part. With our ladies, no sooner had the conversation began than their hair, high heeled shoes, clothes and kitchens came alive. It does not matter in what forum you are found, so long it is an informal conversation these things very quickly come to the fore and condemn us as materialistic. Whether you agree or not, we the 21^st Century Christian generation have mutated into a very materialistic community that shocks the world instead of reaching it for Christ.

Pause and ponder for a moment. What are you pursuing in life? Since you are a very busy Christian doing all it takes to archive, acquire and succeed, are you really investing eternally or simply increasing your material bulk? What are you really hoping and seeking to grasp as you enter the Lord’s rest? Have you also become just like the world; neither satisfied nor happy with where God has placed you? Do you also crave for just a little more of the world like Lot’s wife did in Sodom? Are you one of those who just can’t say enough, this far only will I go? Did you know that the word ENOUGH seems to have been fork lifted from many Christian’s vocabulary and dumped by the wayside as they are rolling home? And so, like them you have ceased from saying this is sufficient for me. You don’t even know the measurement of the knapsack on your back; you assume it is big when it is very small, enough for a pilgrim’s journey. And now you have come to a place in life where you have no desire or plan to pass on overages to others in need. Pause and ponder for a moment dear Christian, is this you?!

In the Bible, from the text that heads this post, God instructs every Christian to avoid pursuing material things to the point of being chocked; instead, to learn to say enough. We need to set a limit for ourselves. God desires that His children be content, it is indeed great gain. But God also knows that we are prone to want more and struggle to say enough. Therefore he admonishes us not to seek and run after material things like the world; instead, to pursue godliness and contentment in life.

In it all, as you attempt to unwind yourself from this entanglement of material pursuit, here is a lesson for you to run along with, assess and determine what enough looks like in your life.  Every time you come across something enticing, ask yourself; “do I really need it?” If “not” quickly pass and focus on something else. If “yes” for the future, jot it down and look at it again when that future comes. But if “yes” for today, try to do the following things: first, assess your means to acquire it so as to avoid unnecessary debt; second, ensure it replaces something else so as to keep away from having more than one thing for the same purpose (better to replace than to just add upon the bulk you already have); third, I know it is easy to get rid of the old after the new has arrived, but if it doesn’t infringe on your operations, try to get rid of the old before the new comes; finally, whether you have acquired it or not, purpose to be satisfied with what you have, either before or after. Know and define your pursuit in life and be content. 

That’s all!

Nature's Song of Yaweh

One of my newest hobbies is photography. New in the sense that it is one thing that I have liked to do after I got married. I never thought I had an eye in photography until I aquired my Nkion D3100. Of course, I must mention, I was influenced by Phil Hunt and Conrad Mbewe who both had older models. Since then I have enjoyed this newest hobby the more.

And so it goes without saying, the above picture is one of my best pictures this year. It was taken in the early hours of the morning on the island of Zanzibar. I stood right under a cliff that overlooks the Indian Ocean beach.  I hope you do register with the display of nature's beauty.

But not so much the picture exclusively, least you miss the point of this posting. Upon seeing this scenery and having shot it, I was drawn to praise God for His amazing artistry; He is beyond science. How that He would paint an almost black and white live view. Fore sure the Psalmist was right in Psalms 19 when he sung "Nature's Song of YAWEH:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; 

And the firmament shows His handiwork. 

Day unto day utters speech, 

and night unto night reveals knowledge. 

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard"

Very clearly I heard the voice of this scenery cry out in praise as it declared the glory of God in the morning. The Sun, Sky and Clouds in their glorious fashion, silently, yet in a loud voice, pierced through my heart more than my ears, singing "He who created us is but Divine."