Any lifestyle that doesn’t align with God’s priorities and won’t hold up after death is not a good one—no matter how glamorous or appealing or sensible it seems at the time.

Despite both personal experiences and studies indicating money alone doesn’t bring the good life, countless people think and live and make choices as if it does.

As the wealthiest man on earth, Solomon learned that affluence didn’t satisfy. All it did was give him greater opportunity to chase more mirages. People tend to run out of money before mirages, so they cling to the myth that things they can’t afford will satisfy them. Solomon’s money never ran out.

God created us to love people and use things, but materialists love things and use people. Materialism drives not just the “bad apples” of society; it drives “the best and the brightest,” those from the finest homes and schools, those who become government and business leaders, physicians, and attorneys.

In August 2017, Randy Alcorn was a guest on the Frank Sontag Show, talking about leadership and his new devotional Truth: A Bigger View of God's Word. In this clip, Randy talks about how we can break the cycle of materialism.

When I realize that God has a claim not merely on the few dollars I might choose to throw in an offering plate, not simply on 10 percent or even 50 percent, but on 100 percent of “my” money, it’s revolutionary.

In April 2017, Randy Alcorn taught a course at Veritas Evangelical Seminary on the subject of money and giving. In this clip, he talks about the dangers of materialism. 

In April 2017, Randy Alcorn taught a course at Veritas Evangelical Seminary on the subject of money and giving. In this clip, Randy talks about the dangers of materialism and arrogance in regards to wealth.

In March 2015, Randy Alcorn was interviewed on the subject of money and possessions. In this clip, he shares about the dangers of materialsm to our spiritual life.