Many believe that our existence is purely physical nothing more, that accumulating wealth and everything that comes with it leads to fulfillment. Materialism is really a secular religion. “Material Girl”, Madonna’s hit in 1984, illustrates this worldview. This is how she explains her view, “’Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right.”
The goal is to get the most out of life, right? That would mean your purpose is to consume while you can. This perspective drives many people in both developed and developing countries. Their desire for more becomes an addiction. When John D Rockefeller, the world’s richest man, was asked, “How much money is enough?” He responded, “Just a little bit more.” Wealth does not satisfy. There must be more to life.
Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of human needs in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation”. These needs begin with physical and safety needs. Once those needs are met our motivation can move on to higher levels such as love, belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The materialist however allows material goods to drive priorities across the pyramid. Money is thought to determine success (esteem), make one lovable, and resolve problems with safety (social security). Maslow is also credited with saying that “if your only tool is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail”, a relevant proverb for materialists.
Jesus pointed out that, “you can not serve God and money”, they are two different masters. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” (Hebrews 13:5) Money can do a great deal of good, but it makes a poor savior. Although our world has a physical material side, reality is so much more than that. Dig deeper.
Only matter matters: Your life purpose is survival
“The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.” –Carl Sagan Naturalism says that only what can be tested and proven by science is real. When my biological functions cease, “I” cease to exist. Game over. Therefore, the goal is to increase biological life in quantity and …
Born of the Spirit, the Ultimate Secret
We don’t think much about the spiritual world in our post-modern age. Perhaps there are parts of the world where people worship spirits, but that does not concern us here in Europe. We believe in science. Actually, we have been deceived into thinking there is a contradiction between science and …