When riches get you, you get nothing but grief.  When Christ gets you, you get joy, peace, and communion with him forever.  Have your possessions taken hold of your heart?

A man once had a daughter about to get married and he couldn’t afford the wedding. However, this man was a famous author and he had fans. One of his biggest fans was Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia. She loved the work of Denis Diderot and she felt sorry for him. She offered him the equivalent of over $200,000 for his personal library. He could even hold on to the library and act as her personal librarian. Suddenly all Diderot’s money troubles were over. He had enough for the wedding and more to spare.

One of the first things he bought was a beautiful scarlet robe. But Denis Diderot soon noticed that his scarlet robe didn’t fit with all his other possessions. So he had to upgrade. And he spent the rest of his life upgrading, endlessly shopping and pursuing more and better possessions.

James Clear tells this true story in his bestselling book Atomic Habits. He writes: “Diderot’s behaviour is not uncommon. In fact, the tendency for one purchase to lead to another has a name: the Diderot Effect. The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases.” It’s a chain reaction that seems impossible to stop.

Denis Diderot wasn’t a Christian, but we all know Christians aren’t immune to the “spiral of consumption” he fell into. If we’re honest, many of us experience it regularly. When it happens, Scripture tells us that there’s more going on than meets the eye. It’s not just about your outward behaviour. You’re not just getting possessions. Possessions are getting you. They’ve got your heart.

In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus encountered someone much like Diderot, someone captured by the allure of stuff. He used the opportunity to teach his disciples about the heart dangers that come with earthly possessions.

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