Overcoming Materialism

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I thought I would share…this past Sunday at the end of Mass, the priest talked to the congregation about what the parish is required to contribute to the archdiocese for the DCF. He mentioned that many of us in the congregation have given money to the fund and to the parish, but *“perhaps not sacrificially.” *

BAM! :eek:

Those words really hit me.

I do give to the parish, to a variety of charities and I volunteer. **But I have not been doing so sacrificially. I only give to the point that it does not inconvenience me, and I almost never let myself go “without” something I think I want. ** For instance, the little things that I can ‘give up’ (like morning coffee, another new pair of shoes, a new book instead of a used book or trip to the library) will make more room in my life for God and less room for things. Then, when I am focused on the sacrifice, I will be reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me and perhaps not be so tempted to fall into this consumerist trap.

Pray for me (especially over the holiday season) that I will find ways to make sacrifice and make room for more of Him and less of me, more of Him and less stuff that I don’t really need or want anyway.
 
Glad to hear it! 🙂

Yes it’s one thing to give of one’s largess, it’s another thing to give sacrificially! It really helps one grow in virtue and it’s treasure in Heaven!

You can’t take it with you if it’s material, you can only take the spiritual goods and growth in virtue that makes for good memories!
 
Abundant said:
How can I learn to be not only happy with what I have, but learn to seek Him instead of stuff? I know it is wrong, and that in some ways I am having another God before Him. Thoughts?😦
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I have been struggling with the desire for God as well, to desire God before all other things. My struggle is not materialism but pride and reputation.

Ralph Martin’s book The Fulfillment of all Desire is a good read in this area.
He condenses the wisdom of the saints. The saints say that the pure desire for God is a gift of God. You have to ask for it in prayer and be receptive. You can’t just acquire it. For me, it is requiring a lot of patience and baby steps, detachment from small things to open up a spot for God’s answer to this prayer.
 
Abundant said:
I thought I would share…this past Sunday at the end of Mass, the priest talked to the congregation about what the parish is required to contribute to the archdiocese for the DCF. He mentioned that many of us in the congregation have given money to the fund and to the parish, but *“perhaps not sacrificially.” *

BAM! :eek:

Those words really hit me.

I do give to the parish, to a variety of charities and I volunteer. **But I have not been doing so sacrificially. I only give to the point that it does not inconvenience me, and I almost never let myself go “without” something I think I want. ** For instance, the little things that I can ‘give up’ (like morning coffee, another new pair of shoes, a new book instead of a used book or trip to the library) will make more room in my life for God and less room for things. Then, when I am focused on the sacrifice, I will be reminded of the sacrifice that Jesus made for me and perhaps not be so tempted to fall into this consumerist trap.

Pray for me (especially over the holiday season) that I will find ways to make sacrifice and make room for more of Him and less of me, more of Him and less stuff that I don’t really need or want anyway.
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Mother Teresa:
“Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self.”
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Abundant,

You’re asking some good questions.

Looking at your situation, I think you could probably improve your quality of life a lot by 1) ending the compulsive shopping (because it contributes to clutter that you have to manage) and 2) setting aside some of that money for cleaning help. If you carve out $100 a month, BAM, you can afford a cleaning lady and clean baseboards.

I think I’m in more or less your economic class, and I grew up in a household where “Oh my goodness! Company’s coming! Gotta clean!” was really the only motivation for doing major housework. Unfortunately, if we have that attitude, but rarely have visitors, things are going to go to pot. My thinking on housework has since evolved to the following position: 1) we deserve a clean house, not just our company 2) if my friends like me, they won’t mind a little mess or grime 3) if they don’t like me, what are they doing at my house? (I have twice a month cleaning help, which is great.)

I am also a reformed spender, and I would suggest putting some road blocks in front of yourself. I used to have Amazon one-click–I don’t anymore. I used to visit Baby Gap a couple times a week–I don’t anymore. These days, whenever I get a hankering for something, I put it into my Amazon shopping cart. Every few weeks, I visit my shopping cart and put new stuff in, delete old stuff, etc. I also keep a huge master list of everything I want, from dish towels to a minivan, with dollar amounts. By the time I actually buy something (often months or years after initially putting it on my list or in my cart), I know it’s something I REALLY want, and I enjoy it that much more. Plus, if I buy it from Amazon, I also have the fun of getting a package and opening a box.

Best wishes!
 
Abundance is Okay if you are not attached and you are realizing that your abundance is not bringing you that much happiness. The essential question is Are you in your body or is your body within you? Follow you bliss as Joseph Campbell says.
 
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