Luke 12:15 “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
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There’s a moment in almost every modern life when a person looks around and realizes - there’s too much. Too much stuff. Too many distractions. Too many things pulling for attention. The weight of excess is not just physical but spiritual, pressing down on the soul, suffocating peace, and leaving little room for the presence of God.
Jesus understood this struggle well. He spoke directly to it when He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20). In these words, He reveals that the pursuit of material gain is not just a poor investment—it’s a distraction from eternal purpose.
A tapeworm thrives by consuming everything its host ingests, yet it leaves the host constantly malnourished, no matter how much they eat. In the same way, the relentless hunger for possessions we really don’t need deceives us into believing we will eventually feel satisfied. Instead, we remain spiritually empty, drained by the very things we thought would bring us fulfillment.
Just as a parasite steals nourishment from the body, material excess robs our souls of the peace that comes from resting in God's provision.
The Burden of Accumulation (Seeking Happiness)
The culture of accumulation teaches us that happiness is always one purchase away. If we get the better car, the bigger house, the designer brand, then we will finally feel secure, respected, and fulfilled. But as Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, “Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” Yet, how often do we live as though it does?
American consumerism fuels this lie. The average American home contains over a hundred thousand items, and yet dissatisfaction remains. A recent survey found that twenty-four percent of homes with two-car garages didn’t have room to park a car inside because the garage was too full of stuff. Each year, Americans spend $1.2 trillion on non-essential goods, chasing security and happiness. The clutter is not just in our homes but in our hearts.
R.C. Sproul observed, “The more we accumulate, the greater our tendency to rely on things rather than on God.” Scripture supports this truth in Ecclesiastes 5:10, “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.” When wealth or possessions define our identity, they become idols, taking the place of God in our lives.
The Emotional and Spiritual Cost of Excess
Many turn to material possessions to cope with stress, loneliness, and anxiety. Research shows that people engage in retail therapy to experience a temporary sense of control or pleasure, but this only feeds a greater financial burden and emotional emptiness. The more we buy, the emptier we feel.
C.S. Lewis once said, “Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” The world promises fulfillment in abundance yet leaves us feeling hollow and enslaved to the very things we thought would set us free.
The rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-22 exemplifies this struggle. He had followed the law, yet his heart was bound by wealth. When Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow Him, “he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” His security was not in Christ but in his possessions. This is the danger of accumulation - what we own can end up owning us.
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