For many people I talk to, ordinary life feels harder to afford than it once did. When they buy groceries, they say their money does not go nearly as far. They speak of insurance premiums rising without clear reason and medical expenses continuing to grow. Those on fixed incomes say their income no longer seems to keep pace with the real cost of living. Housing, maintenance, transportation, and basic services all place added pressure on the household budget. With so much financial strain and uncertainty, it is not surprising that many people feel uneasy. For some, that uneasiness becomes anxiety, fear, or deep discouragement. Almost everyone feels some part of this pressure, though some seem to carry it better than others.

Should we have some concern over affordability? Of course. That is both natural and prudent. We should pay attention to our spending, and if our income is uncertain, we should not pretend otherwise. Younger people who hope to leave a less desirable neighborhood may naturally worry about interest rates and housing costs. Affordability pressures are real, and concern over them is understandable. The deeper question is how and why those concerns so easily begin to take over and govern our inner life.

Why do financial concerns reach so deeply into the human heart? Why do they exert such pressure on us? Why does the possibility of not having enough to maintain our present way of life strike such fear within us? Are we too concerned about what others might think of us? Has what we have become our source of security? Do we imagine that if we just had enough, we could finally feel in control? Perhaps the real issue is not simply what we have or what crisis may come into our lives. Perhaps the deeper issue is what we have come to trust for purpose, stability, and peace.

Each of us has a “lens” through which we view the world and make decisions and judgments. In our modern age, that lens increasingly defines reality only in terms of what can be seen, touched, and measured. Material conditions then become the main source of well-being, security, and safety. Even one’s sense of meaning is shaped by what one has and can control. The questions then become these: Do I have enough to be secure? What can I acquire to control my future? What will others think of me?

A materialistic worldview shows itself in a variety of practical ways. When unexpected financial pressures arise, our first reaction is often fear and anxiety rather than calm, thoughtful action. We may take excessive or unwise steps in order to feel secure. We begin to place our trust in always having enough money to overcome whatever may come. When friends or co-workers have newer cars and larger homes, we measure our worth and success against their material well-being. This constant comparison weakens generosity, because our focus shifts from helping others to getting ahead. In this way, our material circumstances begin to rule our lives. In brief, what we have becomes part of our identity as a person.

We are all subject to what our culture tells us is “normal.” Our culture tells us that our worth and security are found in what we have. Christians and non-Christians alike are subject to these same pressures. Thus, many Christians sincerely profess faith in God yet live with the same materialistic worldview as those around them. A believer may say that he or she trusts in God, yet still treat money, savings, and possessions the same way a non-believer does. Control over circumstances becomes the real source of security.

In such cases, a person becomes a slave to what he or she has and can personally control. Self-protection becomes paramount. As this bondage deepens, joy flees and peace disappears. One cannot even enjoy what one has. The focus shifts from people—family, friends, and neighbors—to material things. When neighbors see that we pursue the same things they do, it becomes difficult to speak credibly about a different way of viewing life. Life is unpredictable. No one knows when an event may wipe out a lifetime of savings or completely destroy a current way of life. Fear is inevitable with a materialistic worldview.

If affordability pressures reveal that we rely on our material well-being for our security and identity, then we may be living with a materialistic worldview without fully recognizing it. We allow material things to govern our actions and emotions. If this way of viewing life cannot produce peace, then what would it mean to live by a different way of seeing life?