I heard a testimony this past weekend that really convicted me of materialism.

A man went to Africa to visit a boy and his family. The man had been sponsoring the boy through Compassion International. The help that this family had received through Compassion eventually resulted in the whole family coming to hear the Gospel and be saved. When the man visited, he witnessed the family's complete poverty and poor living conditions. Their house was built using animal manure for the walls, and straw for the roof. It was a sad sight for the man, and he asked the father what kind of needs they had, and how he could pray for them.

The father answered, "Look outside, we have a fruit tree that provides food for my family. A few miles away, there is a stream that provides water for my family. At night we have shelter in this house. But most importantly, we have Christ, and so there is truly nothing else that we need in this life."


As I heard that story, I thought about what I had been thinking earlier that week--I really wanted to buy a new subwoofer for my car. When in reality, there are people with far far far less than I have right now, yet they are so much more content and satisfied in Christ than I am. How much more frequently do I spend thinking about buying the next gadget, car part, or whatever, than I do thinking and meditating on the contentment that comes from Christ alone? I write this not to impress, but rather I write this to my shame in hopes that it will cause you to consider the source of all satisfaction.