Kerby Anderson

Is America suffering from Affluenza? Actually, that is the title of a book published a number of years ago to define the problems of materialism in general and consumerism in particular.

The authors say that the virus of Affluenza “is not confined to the upper classes but has found its ways throughout our society. Its symptoms affect the poor as well as the rich . . ..  Affluenza infects all of us, though in different ways.”  The authors go on to say that “the Affluenza epidemic is rooted in the obsessive, almost religious quest for economic expansion that has become the core principle of what is called the American dream.

Anyone looking at some of the social statistics for the U.S. might conclude that our priorities are out of whack. We spend more on shoes, jewelry, and watches than on higher education. We spend much more on auto maintenance than on religious and welfare activities. And three times as many Americans buy Christmas presents for their pets than buy a present for their neighbors.

Debt and waste also show skewed priorities. More Americans have declared personal bankruptcy than graduated from college. Our annual production of solid waste would fill a convoy of garbage trucks stretching halfway to the moon. We have twice as many shopping centers as high schools.

And Americans seem to be working themselves to death in order to pay for everything they own or want to buy. We now work more hours each year than do the citizens of any other industrial country, including Japan. And according to Department of Labor statistics, full-time American workers are putting in 160 hours more (essentially one month more) than they did in 1969.  And 95 percent of our workers say they wish they could spend more time with their families.

The cure for the virus Affluenza is a proper biblical perspective toward life. The only problem is that this virus has infected many Christians. So, we need to return to biblical priorities ourselves.

Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who decides to tear down his barns and build bigger ones (Luke 12:18). He is not satisfied with his current situation but is striving to make it better. Today most of us have adjusted to a life of affluence as normal and need to actively resist the virus of Affluenza.