Last summer, I went to Tanzania. And while the experience was unparalleled – because it was the first time I’d ever left the country – there was something one of our chaperones said that put the rest of the trip into perspective for me. She said that there might have been an urge for us, as Americans,  to see our brethren in Africa and pity them because they don’t live in excess the way we do, but it was them who pity us because we live in a society and are apart of a culture that places so much value in material things. More than that is the belief that the possession of material things and money itself is the key to happiness and fulfillment. The highlight of the trip for me was seeing the joy within the Tanzanian community – a joy that has eluded us in America, and not rooted in flat screens and wealth, but in life itself. That is not to say that they experience no hardships, but there is something to be said for the fact that we have all we could possibly want, here in America, while still craving for more, haven’t gotten a grasp on satisfaction, let alone joy. 

Let me clarify by saying I am not judging rich people or people who live in mansions. I am merely questioning the endgame. We live in a society that places such a value in appearances, in name brands and keeping up with the Joneses, and this mindset not only claims the lives of those who have the means to keep up, it also seduces those who may not have the means to keep up. They all feel a pressure to conform – to prioritize things and to believe that they are nothing without those tangible things. The pursuit of this kind of lifestyle breeds two particular issues – insatiability and the loss of perspective.

Now, what do I mean by insatiability? Well, it literally means one cannot be satisfied. The more we get, the more we want. Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying I have never wanted a pair (or two) of sneakers, or a new dress – but balance is always important. It’s one thing to want something – that isn’t a crime, but wanting everything, trying to have everything under the guise that you will be fulfilled as a result of having it, and believing that you are a better or happier person because of it, is another thing that has consequences. This leads me to my next and finer point.

Living this way creates distance – between us and perspective. By investing in things, putting faith, focus and value in the shoes on our feet, the clothes on our backs, and the car we’re riving, we forsake the blessings we already have and lose sight of what is important and makes life meaningful. One of my favorite scriptures addresses this issue perfectly:

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” – Mark 8:36

We are so focused on money, what money can buy us, and sustaining that lifestyle – but what does that mean if you lose yourself in the process? Lose God? Money can buy many things, but it cannot buy faith and it certainly can’t buy our salvation. The greatest thing we lose, besides ourselves, is gratitude. We abandon the blessings that have already been bestowed upon us in pursuit of more.

I may not know exactly what was at the root of the joy for the Tanzanians, but I know they were rich – not in possessions – but in love – for themselves and for one another. That is something money cannot buy.