“Food and clothing is enough to make us content. But those who crave the wealth of this world slip into spiritual snares. They become trapped by the troubles that come through their foolish and harmful desires, driven by greed and drowning in their own sinful pleasures. And they take others down with them into their corruption and eventual destruction.” (1 Timothy 6:8-9 TPT)
The water fountains at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas attract crowds of tourists. This spectacle of water, lights, and music can be fun to watch--if you have never seen it before. For those who live and work in the area, it is just another artificial display. Vegas is built in a desert area. You wouldn’t guess that there is a high need for water by looking at the various tourist traps on the strip.
Ostentatious displays of wealth are as meaningless as artificial fountains in the desert. A certain amount of money is necessary to provide the basics. After a point, more stuff or distractions will not significantly improve the quality of your life. It might impress a few gawkers, but it’s just a matter of time before they move on to something flashier.
Why do we strive to amass more wealth than necessary? Is it an insecurity that we may run out of resources in the future? Or is it so that others will admire and envy us? Either way, societal preoccupation with accumulation and conspicuous consumption leads to a general indifference to the poor in our communities. While we look up to those who have more than enough, we fail to notice the ones who have so very little. We influence those around us to do the same. Driven by greed and drowning in meaningless pleasures, we drag our children, relatives, friends, coworkers, and neighbors down with us. As we wallow in foolishness, we fail to recognize how we reinforce inequity and add fuel to the destruction of humanity.
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