Former Prime Minister Nehru of India shocked many people when he said that Russia and the United States possess essentially the same kind of culture. He said the first concern of both is the acquisition of things and that spiritual values are secondary.
No greater evil can befall any nation than that.
Jesus reminded us that things are temporal. They are at the mercy of moths, rust, and thieves. Furthermore, material things can so obsess a person that he can see nothing else in life. As prejudice can distort our vision so that we do not see the truth, as jealousy can blur our sight and prevent us from being objective, as conceit can blind us to our own faults, so a love for things can cloud our vision to those things that are of real value.
Did you know someone can become so obsessed with accumulating things that he becomes a slave to them? More than one person has been so concerned with making money that he lost his health, family, and soul. He thus proved himself to be a fool.
The Bible says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Invest yourself in spiritual things and you’ll be making an investment in eternity.