One of the greatest temptations in this marvelous land of plenty in which we live is the temptation to measure life's success in dollar signs - in the accumulation of possessions. The dollar sign can easily become almighty for us. That is a primary means we have in our culture of measuring a person's worth. The more money you make, the more you are worth. That is simply the way it is in our culture.

With the money we make we can buy this world's goods. And there are plenty of goods to buy. Just watch an hour of television. We are bombarded with commercials. Buy this. Purchase that. You need this. You cannot get along without that. The consumer goods literally dance before our eyes. That is the American way.

Riches and things. That is the American dream. The more riches and things we possess the better off we are. We have been sold that agenda. It is part of who we are. We almost take it for granted. To be a blessed person in this society is to be flush with riches and things. The world and the Evil One will try to get us to conform to that agenda. When Christian people start defining Christian blessings in the same terms, when Christian people start defining blessings in terms of riches and things, then the world has simply won the battle. "Name it and claim it," the "prosperity Gospel" says. "God does not want anyone to be poor." Those slogans are a sure sign that the world has gotten the upper hand in the struggle for our soul.