The Gospel of More

Valerie Cullers 41 Comments
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Anyone living in America knows we are constantly bombarded by the Gospel of More.

 What is the Gospel of More? It is the idea that we must always strive to have more stuff than we have now. The basic tenant of the Gospel of More is that we do not have enough material goods and what we do have is not good enough. We must constantly strive to have a bigger and better house, car, furniture…you name it. The underlying premise of this Gospel is that our happiness depends on our acquiring more and better stuff.

Who are the promoters of this Gospel? The High Priests of this Gospel reside on Madison Avenue and they work night and day in order to create the illusion that our happiness depends on our material possessions. If we are ensnared by this illusion, the High Priests have done their job.

Who are the benefactors of this Gospel? The corporations that wish to sell you their goods are the ultimate benefactors. If they can get you to trade in your car, sell your existing house, and get rid of your furniture in order to upgrade, then the High Priests have accomplished their purpose.

What must you do in order to be a disciple of this Gospel? A person cannot be a true disciple of this Gospel unless they are willing to go into debt. This Gospel is not cheap and it does not come easy. It’s adherents must continually work and enslave themselves into debt in order to follow it.

Do the High Priests preach the truth? No. They are selling an illusion that doesn’t exist. Ask anyone who has gotten the new house, car, or furniture and ask them how long the happiness has lasted. Usually they will tell you until they had to make the first payment.

Is there a church that this Gospel promotes? Yes, it is called the Church of Materialistic Desire and all are invited to join. The services are usually full to overflowing and you are always welcome to attend. Snippets of their services are on display during the commercials of your favorite television show.

Is it easy to leave the Church of Materialistic Desire? No. It is probably one of the hardest things a person can do. One must desire to let go of the illusion and be willing to live a life that is counterintuitive to the culture we live in. 

What are the benefits of leaving the Church of Materialistic Desire? Two things come to mind: one, contentment and two, a realignment of values. Once a person has broken free of this lifestyle, he is free to enjoy what he has and break free from the cycle of debt.

What about you? Have you been thinking of leaving the Church of Materialistic Desire? It does take a paradigm shift in our minds but it can be done. Jesus said, “A man’s life does NOT consist in the abundance of his possessions.” He was telling the truth and deep down we all know it. Why not give it a try?

41 thoughts on “The Gospel of More”

  3. Amen Valerie! I teach that to my kids. I tell them they are always trying to get you to buy things in this country and they always want you to believe it will make your life so much better if you buy it. I teach them 1 Timothy 6:6, “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” Praise God He will always take care of our needs and more. God bless!

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  4. We just need to read the beatitudes (MATT 5:3-12 or Luke 6:20-22) to know what blessings we have when we follow Christ. They are contrary to what we seek in this world. Those will bring us an eternal reward that all the shiny things we chase here will seem like nothing. Which, of course, they are.

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  6. I’m afraid I’m guilty of finding pleasures in “stuff”. But, I’m slowly, but surely, working on minimalism, save for my favorite things. 😉 You’re probably not going to like my A to Z challenge posts. 😔 Much love and hugs. ❤🤗

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    • Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I for one have been a minimalist for decades. I have relatives that had homes filled with stuff. Perhaps my feelings are a reaction to that. I don’t think so though. I love the Japanese view of space. Space is important to me, more important than filling it with stuff! Best wishes!!!

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  8. Good post Valeria, I call it the burden of ease here in America. All the stuff is like a weight around the neck. It’s so over whelming when one comes home from 4-5 years on the mission field in a third world country.

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    • Yes, so true. After I lived with my family in Italy for a while, I realized there was a better way to live than the American one of buy, buy, buy, consume, consume, consume. There is nothing wrong with things, but if that’s all we are working and living for, we have missed the central point of life! Thanks for the insightful input!

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  11. I think the more we accumulate, the more we are weighed down. I find it so interesting that there is now a movement to de-clutter, to let go of the things that don’t bring us happiness. It should be a no-brainer, yet we have been so indoctrinated that we basically have to undergo an exorcism, to continue to your spiritual allegory.

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