Materialism/Idols

Wow! Three posts in two days! I'm on a roll! The Toys R Us ads in the previous post reminded me of something I wanted to take note of for when Micah gets older.

Jackson has started getting allowance (here's the post about our family's views on that subject)and ever since then we've had more opportunities to discuss saving, spending and giving money.

Well, Jackson received a Fisher Price catalog along with one of the birthday presents he got in the mail and it's become his new favorite "book". In fact, in order to help him learn how to save his money to buy something bigger than a 97 cent Hotwheels, we've cut out a picture of the toy he wants to buy and we made a little count down calendar for how many weeks it will take until he can buy it. It's been a really good lesson in delayed gratification.

However, now he'll spend more time looking at the toys he "wants"(said in a whinny voice) in the catalog than he does playing with the toys he has. It's prompted some good conversation about materialism. Here's how the conversation happened the other day:

Mom: Jackson please get into your high chair it's time for lunch.

(Jackson still looking at the catalog.)

Mom: Jackson did you not hear me or are you choosing to be disobedient?

Jackson: I heard you... Mom, after I get my Lightning McQueen train I want to get this ...

(Mom takes the catalog away and Jackson throws a mini tantrum.)

Mom: Uh-oh.

Jackson: What?

Mom: Did you know that you just made toys an idol? What does the Bible say about idols? (pause) What is the first commandment?

Jackson: "You shall have no other gods before me."

Mom: Did you know that when you chose to look at the catalog instead of obey Mommy you also chose to disobey God and that means you are putting your toys before God and making them an idol? Is that good or bad?

Jackson: Bad.

Mom: You've been thinking about your toys a lot lately. What should we think about more? God? or toys?

Jackson: God.

(We pray that God will help us to think about Him more than our toys.)

Mom: It's okay to have toys, but it's not okay to think about them more than God. Let's put this catalog away for awhile so we stop thinking about toys and think about God.

Jackson: Okay(getting into his high chair). Mom?

Mom: Yes?

Jackson: When I was getting into my high chair I was thinking about Jesus.

Mom: I'm glad.

Of course materialism is something I struggle with too. I just wrote a blog about matching outfits for cryin' out loud. I'm glad that God is using me to keep my boy's heart in check and that He's using my boy to keep my heart in check.

As a result, we've also been working on memorizing a few Bible verses regarding the issue of materialism:

"And He said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.'" (Luke 12:15 NKJV)

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Luke 16:13 NIV)

I don't pretend to have all the answers to this tough issue. How do I raise my children with a healthy view of money? Money in and of itself is not bad, it's the LOVE of money that's bad. But it's hard to distinguish what the LOVE of money looks like sometimes because it can creep into my life so easily.

I've made it clear to Jackson that I struggle with making "things" an idol too and that this will be a life long battle for us, so we need to keep praying that God will help us to worship Him only.

Yet another reminder of God's grace in our day to day lives.