MATERIALISM,
PERSPECTIVE OF

IN ONE of his skits, the comedian Jack Benny would pretend to be robbed. A thief would approach him with a gun and say, “Sir, your money or your life?”

Jack Benny would always put his fingers up to his head and look puzzled.

The robber would repeat, “Your money or your life?”

After a brief moment of silence, the robber would ask again in frustration, “Your money or your life!?”

Jack Benny would finally answer him and say, “Hold on a minute. I’m thinking!” That’s the way a lot of people are. They’re so off in their perspective that they will give their life to get money—even if ultimately they only leave it to another.614

[Life, Management of; Materialism, Deception of; Money, Love of]

Ps. 49:10; Matt. 6:19–21

A LITTLE girl one day was given two dollars by her mother. The mother said, “Darling, one dollar is for church and one dollar is for candy after church.”

The little girl started on her way to church. It was a windy day, and after a bit, she tripped and the dollars fell out of her hand. The wind took both of them, but she was able to catch one. The other one flew away. She said, “Well, God, there goes Your dollar.”

Isn’t it interesting that it’s always God’s dollar that flies away? Isn’t it interesting that when you have to cut, you always cut God but not anybody else? God watches that and He weighs it.615

[Money; Priorities; Stewardship]

Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13

A MAN had two prize-winning calves. These calves would win thousands of dollars. The man came to his wife and said, “Honey, this is something. The Lord done blessed us with two prize-winning calves. I’m going to honor the Lord. One calf is ours. The other calf is the Lord’s. Whatever the Lord’s calf brings in, we will give it to Him. Whatever our calf brings in, we are going to keep it for ourselves.”

The man came home a week later, depressed and downhearted. His wife said, “Honey, what’s wrong?”

He said, “Honey, the Lord’s calf just died.”

Have you ever noticed it’s always the Lord’s calf that dies? Have you noticed that when things get tight, it’s always the Lord’s money that gets left out?616

[Money; Priorities; Stewardship]

Ps. 62:10; Prov. 22:1; Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13