The Stronghold Of Materialism
This words of wisdom talks about generosity, materialism.
An attitude of generosity and liberal giving is not a natural characteristic of mankind. Most of us find ourselves more selfish than generous if we are honest. But in a Western society people struggle even more as they live under a stronghold of greed and materialism. This atmosphere influences the way in which we think and react, just as Indian and African culture influenced me when I lived there. In India and Africa there is a real sacrificial generosity shown towards others. If you are the guest of a family they will literally kill the last chicken they own to feed you. They thrive on a spirit of generosity.
In the West, however, despite our wealth, a spirit of poverty reigns. In fact, we are so accustomed to it that we scarcely realize we are living under it. We don’t notice that we tend to withhold rather than give. For this reason we need to ask the Holy Spirit to search our lives and ask God, 'Lord, have I become stingy?' I believe God is calling the Church to break out against the tide of greed, materialism and self-obsession to demonstrate an 'unreasonable' generosity.
Supernatural Breakthrough p. 188