Taming The Materialism Monster

A prolific writer and African literary genius Chinua Achebe, once wrote; “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to redeem them from starvation, they all have food in their own houses. When we gather together in the moonlight village ground, it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound, we come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so. Therefore, let us continue with the team-spirit and enjoy the power of togethernes”.
Humans naturally are social beings, so need one another to exist. Rugged individualism is incompatible with the social nature of man. That explains why when a person pretends to live in isolation of others because of the false and uncertain riches of this world, he or she would discover at the end that it was a mere illusion and a figment of imagination. Materialism and its growing tendencies have eaten so deep into the fabrics of society, that it is increasingly difficult to feel what others feel.
The “brother-keeper” disposition  that several years ago characterised and gave meaning to human relationship is now history. Everyone struggles to survive in a survival of the fittest scenario. Society is transitioning into an inevitable callous threshold which the popular artiste lyrics, “As e dey pain them, e dey sweet us…..” finds expression. That simply lends credence to the growing state of callousness in the society- a state where a person can audaciously ask like Cain, “Am I my brother’s keeper? Humans are so neck-deep into  materialism that inordinate or illegitimate means are employed to achieve their selfish goal, even though it requires taking life or shortchanging a person, group or community. But Jesus’ timeless and million  dollars question still echoes: what shall it profit a man (a person) if he gains the world and loses his soul. And what shall a man give in exchange of his soul?. The answer is not far-fetched— nothing shall be the profit of a person even as no person can gain the world. It is foolhardy for someone to live as though he or she will never die or when they die, they will take anything out of this world.
The Gospel artiste, Jim Reeves ( of blessed memory) in one of his best seller albums, derided the quest for materialism while anticipating his transition to eternal rest when he said: This world is not my home. I’m just a passing thro. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue..Do some public officers still have the mindset that life is transient? I do not think they do. How could a person earn so much, yet refused to listen to the cry of others and give them their entitlements? How would a public officer indulge in acquisition of property at the expense of workers and the people? I am worried when I see people live for themselves. Living for oneself, working and taking decision for the reason of benefitting from it ultimately,. is the gateway to inevitable sorrow. The essence of life is not the material wealth that one acquires or amasses for oneself, but how one positively affects the life of less privileged people in society.
Wealth is transient so it is folly to die for what does not translate to eternal value. The fleet of cars, palatial houses, sumptuous delicacies, flamboyant dressing and ostentatious living are sheer vanities. Materialism, borrowing the words of Biblical King  Solomon, is “vexation of spirit”. Investment outside human is an exercise in futility. According to Lao Russell, “in vain you build the city if you did not first build the man”. Emphasis should be placed on selfless human capacity development that is a lasting legacy to pass on to someone. Living as though no one else deserves to live or every other person should be beggarly or slave, is the height of self-centredness. It is high time we learned that the yardstick to determine a meaningful life is how much we invested in others and not necessarily in ourselves or family members.
Remember, he who gives to the poor lends to God and obtains reward from Him. The selfish rich have always died unremembered or un-immortalised. Most have died  from depression, fears, anxiety, and suspicion. The John Rockefeller Foundation is a constant reminder of the invaluable benefits of touching lives positively, if you will be remembered for good deeds in service to God and humanity through Jesus Christ,  then you are sure of eternal rest. There is a mathematical axiom  that, “things equal to the same thing are equal to each other’. Applying this truth in real life is to suggest that those committed to Jesus will be committed to those He loves. Someone has suggested that when we receive Jesus as our Lord, He opens bank accounts in heaven in our names. He challenges us to deposit our good works by the faithful stewardship of our lives. We are to make no excuse as to why we failed to deposit.
Good deeds can lengthen a person’s lifespan and elicit reciprocal favours. The Biblical Hezekiah, Dorcas, Cornelius, the Centurion,  Mary Magdalene, John D. Rockefeller, and several others,  are testimonials of good deeds. Good deed is expression of the God nature in us. Let us practise it and society will be a good place to live in.

By: Igbiki Benibo