Number 10: Materialism
“The placing in high regard of ownership and consumption as a family priority.”
Families throughout the developed world are subjected to an unceasing flow of advertising, image-making, and plain old selling of consumer goods and services. And… we are buying it.
While the freedom to make consumer choices depends on this open market, the high pressure to buy more has other effects. These include consumer debt, lack of savings, and overextended parents.
Much of this commercial pressure is applied to reaching ”decision makers” and “purchase influencers” as young as age two. Even mature consumers are falling prey to the trap of consumption that outstrips earning power or even earning potential. Feeding this fire are the seemingly unlimited offers of consumer credit sent through the mail and over the airwaves.
In a “stuff” -oriented culture, the Gospel is drowned out. We listen to our own insecurities and greed rather than finding fulfillment in Jesus Christ alone. A life of peace with God’s provision is lost.
Rampant consumption also levies direct costs; families trapped in the race to satisfy wants and desires fall prey to financial stress, dissatisfaction, and bitterness.
The number 10 topic facing today’s family, as expressed by individuals from a range of backgrounds, is “Materialism.”
