Materialism is one of the new-era gods of the Western culture. The website becomingminimalist.com reports from various sources the following staggering statistics:
- “There are 300,000 items in the average American home (LA Times).
- The average size of the American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years (NPR).
- And still, 1 out of every 10 Americans rent offsite storage—the fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry over the past four decades. (New York Times Magazine).
- While 25% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32% only have room for one vehicle. (S. Department of Energy).
- The United States has upward of 50,000 storage facilities, more than five times the number of Starbucks. Currently, there is 7.3 square feet of self storage space for every man, woman and child in the nation. Thus, it is physically possible that every American could stand—all at the same time—under the total canopy of self storage roofing (SSA).
- British research found that the average 10-year-old owns 238 toys but plays with just 12 daily (The Telegraph).
- 1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally (UCLA).
- The average American woman owns 30 outfits—one for every day of the month. In 1930, that figure was nine (Forbes).
- The average American family spends $1,700 on clothes annually (Forbes).
- While the average American throws away 65 pounds of clothing per year (Huffington Post).
- Nearly half of American households don’t save any money (Business Insider).
- But our homes have more television sets than people. And those television sets are turned on for more than a third of the day—eight hours, 14 minutes (USA Today).
- Some reports indicate we consume twice as many material goods today as we did 50 years ago (The Story of Stuff).
Apparently if you are not content, you are in company with most other Americans. Could it be said that greed, commercialism, and materialism are some of the biggest sins in America? Perhaps. Wanting more is advertised on a daily basis. Coveting is preached in the public square. Just glance at any commercial or ad.
The broad way of discontentment seems kind of crowded. The Lord has the “straight and narrow way” for the Christian to walk in life. It is not crowded. Very few people have walked it. Paul walked it. Peter, James, John, and Timothy did, too. The way of contentment is not traveled by many, but every Christian should set the course of his life on this route (Matthew 7:13-14).
If we could find that Jesus is sufficient, it would surely help us to have a spirit of contentment. Christ alone is sufficient for salvation. Jesus said in John 6:51: I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Satisfaction is also found in Christ alone. Psalm 91:16 declares, With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. Since the Christian has eternal life, I think that qualifies for a long life! Because of the life we have in Jesus, we can be satisfied in and by Jesus.
From A to Z – what more do we really need?
We are affirmed in Christ.
We are becoming like Christ.
We are called in Christ.
We are delighted by Christ.
We are edified in Christ.
We are full in Christ.
We are growing in Christ.
We are holy in Christ.
We are immortal in Christ.
We are justified in Christ.
We are kept by Christ.
We are loved by Christ.
We are married to Christ.
We are new in Christ.
We are one in Christ.
We are perfected by Christ.
We are quickened in Christ.
We are redeemed by Christ.
We saved, safe, and secure in Christ.
We are taught by Christ.
We are useful to Christ.
We are valued by Christ.
We are whole in Christ.
We are exonerated by Christ.
We are yoked with Christ.
We are zealous in Christ.
Please read on to PART 4…
EDC Christian 