~Materialism~

by Dewey Fox

Thanks for the article several weeks ago on the life of Rich Mullins. I took your advice and purchased Rich’s devotional biography by James B. Smith. It was written a couple of years after his death, the result from a tragic auto accident at the age of, I believe 41! I purchased the hard copy which included his CD with 10 songs, one for each chapter in the book. I read the book and would give it a “Five,” out of five when looking into the life of this man. I have yet to find the video called, “The Homeless Man.” Apparently it is out of production and no one is selling their copy. If anyone reading knows where I can purchase a copy, please let me know.

From a materialistic world, we certainly had Rich Mullins as an example of living the Christian life. Very simply he lived here on earth, when he could have lived in a mansion instead of a trailer. But he chose his mansion in heaven! When we get caught up into materialism we start to lose sight of God, and then we think we do it on our own. I think that may be where we are now in the United States, “We are so great and rich we don’t need God in our life.” The writer of Proverbs put it so simply; “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not upon thine own understanding: In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 RV) Don’t go anywhere else except the Bible to learn and don’t read more into it than there is, “IT”S THAT SIMPLE.”

Let me leave you today with one of Rich’s quotes on materialism and American Christianity. He said, “I really struggle with American Christianity. People in America grow up in a culture that worships pleasure, leisure, and affluence. I think the church is doubly damned when it uses Jesus as a vehicle for achieving all of that. Many people believe that if you give a tithe to the church then God will make you rich. Why?......If you give a tithe, you get rid of ten percent of the root of all evil. You should be giving ninety percent because God can handle money better than we can.”

Can I have an Amen?

Brother Dewey E. Fox