Are You Wasting Your Life With Frivolous Things?
According to Deutsche Bank Research, middle income American families spend about 50% of their income on luxuries or non-necessities. The wealthiest families spend about 65% of their income on luxuries, and even low income families spend about 40% of their income on luxuries. That is spending money that they do have, but 46% of Americans spend more than they make each month. Our culture is filled with ads and commercials that try to convince us that we “need” their products, and often times we fall victim. Many Americans spend money they don’t have because they confuse what they need with what they desire. For those who can afford to spend a lot of money… I am burdened that many are not wisely using their resources when there are so many in the world that are in need.
A few years ago I lived up near Philadelphia, PA and worked with high school students. Something that struck me was the way a lot of kids spent their money. Many of them came from impoverished single parent homes, and had an extremely skewed view of money. Many sacrificed on necessities so they could afford non-necessities. Students couldn’t buy their food when they went out, but they had nicer shoes than I did and $200 Beats headphones… I think many of them wanted to be seen as if they had money even though they did not. Many had also bought into the dream of celebrityism and instead of trying to work hard to become successful, they hoped that their athletic ability or talents would get them to a place of fame and fortune.
Sadly, I cant say I was much different… When I was a kid, I always had to have the best. I had to have the most expensive name brand clothes, $100 sneakers, and the newest video games or technological devices. Today most of those clothes don’t fit, the sneakers are worn out, and the technology is outdated. I am thankful that I can now see what a waste that was. Many people my age and much older are still seduced by materialism and the American Dream. Many are obsessed with getting a college degree in something that pays a ton of money, so they can buy a massive house that is only half used, shiny new cars that do way more than they will ever use them for, go on expensive luxurious vacations, and spoil their children by giving them everything they want. The sad truth is that none of these things last or make a person truly happy. Nice things are not inherently bad and we should definitely put some money towards taking vacations, but most people simply spend too much on luxuries.
My encouragement for you today is to spend your money on things that matter. The majority of things we buy will be useless in another 10-20 years. Maybe you don’t need that luxury car, when a Toyota will do the job just fine. Maybe you don’t have to get a flagship smartphone if a cheaper one will do everything you need. We always want the best, but rarely need half of the things we buy. The sad and inevitable reality is that we are all eventually going to die… Many people hoard up wealth all their lives and only rarely use it to help people. Then since they cant take it with them when they die, they just leave it for their children to fight over. The average person will live between 70-80 years, and I believe that is only a small part of our stories. Someday we will spend eternity either with God or separated from God. I want to tell people about Jesus and give them true purpose in this life. I want to put my resources towards helping people and making a difference that will matter beyond my short life. What about you?
