Cover Story by Scott Coombe Materialism is the conviction that the essence of life and all reality is only physical.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Send mail to The Voice Are Christians materialists? What does materialism mean in today's postmodern world? The Voice selected four Christian panelists to answer that question. Dr. Daniel Lockwood is president of Multnomah Bible College and Multnomah Biblical Seminary. Pastor Steve Kimes teaches at Peace Mennonite Church and founded a church that ministers to the homeless. Dr. Linda Dunakin is a Christian counselor who ministers to people in financial need. Mrs. Marianne Murphy is an OMF missionary on home leave after spending 15 years in Japan. Charles Pattee is a Certified Public Accountant who helps people with their finances. The Voice: Describe what materialism means to you. Pastor Kimes: Determining that the things of this age are more significant than the kingdom of God. Desiring that which is not needful to you. Dr. Lockwood: Materialism is the conviction that the essence of life and all reality is only physical. In a practical sense, materialism is placing your highest priority on accumulating, protecting and valuing what is tangible and physical. Dr. Dunakin: Where someone's desire is for things instead of people. Mrs. Murphy: Materialism makes me think of "stuff." It makes me think of using stuff for security, for image, for acceptance and status, for power, for escape, for pleasure and for hope. It means looking for satisfaction in a place other than God. Mr. Pattee: Materialism is an overemphasis on material things versus spiritual things. The Voice: Where do you draw the line in giving to your own family vs. giving to the care of homeless, orphans, missionaries or world relief agencies? Pastor Kimes: We live in simplicity, limiting ourselves to what is necessary, or a little above, in order to give more to the poor, needy and outcast. We give of our money, time, energy and of all we have received, like our education. Dr. Lockwood: My primary responsibility is to support my family before others. Scripture is clear on that. It also involves more than basic necessities -- recreation, my child's education and retirement are responsibilities I have to family so as not to be a burden to others. Most of us can do this and still help the poor. Dr. Dunakin: The Bible is clear. First you give to God your tithes and offerings. This will include missionaries. Then it says to give to the household of faith first, to take care of my family. Then you take care of others such as the street person, and you want the gospel involved. Mrs. Murphy: I try to listen to the Lord on what He wants me to do. I especially try not to be sucked into the world's and especially the U.S.'s standards of how much we have to have, which is usually a lie. Mr. Pattee: Make sure that your own family is taken care of first or else you are going to put the responsibility on someone else to take care of them. I also think the closer to home you are, the better you are. The Voice: What items, excluding cars or houses, tend to get people into the most debt? Pastor Kimes: Sin, of course, gets people into the worst debt with God -- especially lack of forgiveness. (Matt. 6) For material debt, the things that destroy us are the small things we consider insignificant or necessary like using more heat instead of blankets in the winter, toys for our children. Dr. Lockwood: It's not one or two expensive things, it's the accumulation of many things purchased on credit that leads to indebtedness. Dr. Dunakin: Clothes, appliances, televisions. Going into debt for Christmas makes for unhappy adults. Mrs. Murphy: One thing that hits me when I come home is how much nicer everything is and almost has to be to be acceptable. How much less people have to spend on God's kingdom because they have to have such a nice house and nice cars. Volunteering is so much less because people want to get paid for what they do so they can get "stuff." Mr. Pattee: Recreational items, motor homes and that sort of thing. The Voice: If someone is in debt, should he or she save money and pay off debt or just pay off debt? Pastor Kimes: Pay the debt as quickly as possible (Rom 13:8). Give to the poor (Luke 12:33). Where in the Gospel does it say to save money? Dr. Lockwood: I would always say save some money while paying on some debt -- principle as well as interest. The habit of regular saving, like regular tithing, should be perpetuated. Dr. Dunakin: Best to go to the Lord. It depends on the debt. If your brother is in need, pay him your debt rather than saving for a rainy day when he is having one. Mrs. Murphy: The latter. Mr. Pattee: It depends on the nature of the debt. Credit card debt has a pretty high interest rate, and it is better to try to pay those things down than save anything. But it is good to have something for a rainy day fund. The Voice: Do you think God has blessed America with financial wealth and Christians should enjoy it? Why? Pastor Kimes: God has blessed America with financial wealth so that we can give to those in need. Financial wealth is a blessing and a test (Luke 16:10). We are failing the test (Rev. 3:17-18). Dr. Lockwood: All prosperity comes from God, certainly. I'm not at all certain current economic prosperity is a sign of God's blessing. Dr. Dunakin: Yes, we are blessed. It is not wrong to enjoy it. God is not offended if we enjoy it. But we should give sacrificially; what we get blessed with we enjoy more when we share it. Mrs. Murphy: God provides everything for our enjoyment. But it shouldn't stop at just making me satisfied, which is a bottomless pit. There is enjoyment in spreading it. Buy a big beautiful house... then invite others. Have missionaries stay. Give people a place to retreat with the Lord for a day. Receive, enjoy and share. Mr. Pattee: I think that is obvious. Who else is going to bless us with wealth? I don't think buying things up frivolously or living like a pauper is a responsible manner. The Voice: What steps can Christians take to stop the spread of materialism in their own lives and those of their families? Pastor Kimes: Live simply -- do not collect treasures on earth (Mt. 6:19). Give generously (Mark 12:33). Don't be greedy -- don't desire beyond what you need (Eph 5:3). Dr. Lockwood: Never spend more than you earn. Never accumulate more than you can store or use. Regularly give any unused items. Regularly give to church and Christian work. Invest time as well as money. Dr. Dunakin: We will not be able to do it in our own strength. We need to confess how materialistic we are. Isaiah 58 is not about fasting but materialism. Mrs. Murphy: Go overseas! Go see how people live in other countries to get a perspective and a new standard beside the one U.S. media have set. Read about storing treasures in heaven. Read Galatians, James, Amos, which talk about how important the poor are to God's heart. Read Acts for missions. Some say the church exists for missions. That idea seems to be easy to lose. Mr. Pattee: Agree on what is being purchased -- not one member of the household buying and having the others disagree. Budgeting would help. Praying would help, too. The Voice: Do you think Christians have forsaken the true celebration of Christmas? Pastor Kimes: When I was growing up, Christmas was about greed and materialism. According to Phil. 2, the incarnation is about the humiliation of Christ in order to sacrifice himself for us. I have found that the materialistic practices of Christmas distract one from ministering to others as Christ ministered to us. Let us learn this Christmas how to be incarnational to those in need. Dr. Lockwood: I can't generalize. I don't believe a true celebration of Christmas and spending money on gifts and decorations are contradictory. Dr. Dunakin: The Christmas tree and Santa are symptoms of a material society, to upstage Jesus. Santa is a false god and the Christmas tree is the altar of Santa. If Jesus were enough, would we need Santa? It looks like we are using the birth of Christ to continue a material holiday. Mrs. Murphy: In Japan, Christmas is the best time for outreach and telling people what X-mas really means. They are aware of the true meaning. Mr. Pattee: There is a lot of emphasis on gifts and not a lot on the spiritual side of things, but I am really concerned about how people are running Halloween now rather than the Christmas holiday. Pastor Steve Kines Mrs. Marianne Murphy Dr. Daniel Lockwood Scott Coombe owns a mobile home by the river. 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