Freedom from materialism

"People are more important than things." The young mother pressed these words hard into her five-year-old's mind. He had just ended a 30-minute struggle with his friend down the street over who would ride a scooter. He won the fight but lost his friend—at least for a while.

Race the clock forward 15 years. That same little boy is now 20. He's in his third year of college and still uses only a bicycle for transportation. He walks through the parking lot where a student gets out of a Hummer his daddy bought for him. He secretly despises the man who got out of that Hummer. But then, he resolves to treat himself with a trophy car when he finally finishes school. His mother's words come back, "People are more important than things." He understands the truth but cannot fully embrace it—not yet.

Time travels. Fifty years have passed. In the meantime he's built a business, sold it, raised three kids, buried his wife, and watched six grandchildren enter the world. His son and family come to visit. His son marvels at an old carving that his father purchased on an African safari 20 years earlier. The once possessive five-year-old asks, "Would you like to have it? I'd rather you have it in your home than watch it collect dust around here."

"Dad, it means so much to you," his son replies.

"Oh, that's okay. People are more important than things." This time he means it.

What if by God's grace he had learned that lesson earlier in life? Below is a passage from Jesus to help us learn what is really important.

Luke 5:4-6,8,9-11
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10. . . 

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

­POINTS TO PONDER

1. What attachments to the material world do you think Peter and his friends had?

Answer - Peter and his friends were very familiar with the fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. It was rewarding work, and it was something they understood well. It could have easily distracted them from their calling as apostles.

2. How did Jesus free Peter and his friends from those attachments?