Are We Spending to Impress, or Living to Honour God?

A report in The Straits Times dated 19 October 2026, titled “Those in the 30s, 40s the largest groups seeking help over debts here”, caught my attention.

I made an interesting observation: across every age group, whether those in their 20s, 30s, 40s or 50s and above, discretionary spending on lifestyle is the number one problem contributing to debt.

This is deeply concerning.

Many Singaporeans are spending on lifestyles they cannot afford. Some may be able to afford them today, but what happens when their income falls, they lose their jobs, face a medical emergency or have to care for ageing parents? What is affordable today may become unaffordable tomorrow.

We must ask ourselves a difficult question: Are we living within our means, or are we borrowing from our future to finance our present lifestyle?

We live in a fallen world where material possessions are constantly presented as the keys to happiness, success and social status. We are encouraged to buy the latest products, own luxury items and upgrade our lifestyles. Social media makes things worse by showing us what others have, leaving us feeling that we too must have them.

The enemy can use these temptations to draw our hearts away from God. The danger is not merely that we spend too much money, but that we begin to believe that material possessions can satisfy our deepest desires.

The Bible warns us in 1 John 2:15–16 (NIV):

“Do not love the world or anything in the world… For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”

Notice the three temptations: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Much of our lifestyle spending falls into these categories. We see something attractive, desire it, and convince ourselves that we need it. Sometimes, we buy it not because it is useful, but because owning it makes us feel successful.

Before long, we become trapped in a cycle of wanting more.

I am not writing this as someone who has never fallen into this trap. I used to spend a lot of money on lifestyle items myself, particularly luxury watches.

I called it my “watch collection”. Each watch cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.

I kept buying one after another. There was always a better-looking watch, a more prestigious brand, a new model or a limited edition that I wanted to own. Even after acquiring one watch, my desire for another never disappeared.

Looking back, I realise how easily collecting watches became part of my lifestyle and how I could keep justifying the next purchase.

The problem with material desires is that there is always something better to buy, something newer to own and something more expensive to desire.

If we allow this cycle to continue, how much money will ever be enough?

Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NIV) says:

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”

Although this verse speaks specifically about loving money, the same principle applies to our endless pursuit of possessions. If our satisfaction depends on acquiring more, we will never truly be satisfied.

One day, I came to realise that these possessions could not give me the lasting satisfaction I was seeking.

A luxury watch might give us excitement when we first buy it. We may admire it, enjoy wearing it and feel pleased to own it. But eventually, the excitement fades. Then we begin looking for the next watch to give us that same feeling.

Is this really what life is about?

Jesus teaches us in Luke 12:15 (NIV):

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

Our lives are not measured by the number of watches we own, the cars we drive, the properties we possess or the branded bags we carry.

We can own many things and still feel empty. Conversely, we can own very little and yet experience deep contentment because we have Christ.

I came to understand that Jesus alone can satisfy the deepest needs of my heart. The peace, joy and contentment He gives cannot be purchased with money.

As Jesus says in John 6:35 (NIV):

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

This does not mean that we cannot enjoy the good things God provides. It means that we must never expect material possessions to give us what only God can provide.

As Christians, we are called to live with contentment, humility and self-control. This does not mean that we must live in poverty or feel guilty whenever we buy something nice.

God may bless us with a comfortable home, a reliable car, good food and other things that make life pleasant. We can receive these blessings with gratitude.

But there is a difference between enjoying God's provision and indulging our desires.

There is a difference between buying something because it serves a genuine need and buying it because we want to impress others.

There is also a difference between being able to afford something and being wise to purchase it.

Even if we have enough money to buy a luxury item, we should still ask whether that money could be put to better use: providing for our family, helping someone in need, supporting God's Kingdom or preparing responsibly for the future.

As stewards of God's resources, we must remember that the money in our hands is not simply for our own enjoyment. The Lord has entrusted it to us, and we are accountable for how we use it.

First Timothy 6:6–8 (NIV) reminds us:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

Paul is not teaching us to neglect our responsibilities. Rather, he reminds us that godliness and contentment are far more valuable than the endless accumulation of possessions.

Today, I am very happy with an Apple Watch that costs only a few hundred dollars. I find it useful and practical, and it serves my needs well.

I no longer feel the need to keep buying increasingly expensive watches simply because there is always another model to acquire.

What has changed? It is not merely the watch on my wrist. It is my attitude towards possessions.

I have learnt that I do not need to own the most expensive things to be happy. I do not need to keep upgrading my lifestyle to prove my worth. My identity and contentment are found in Christ, not in what I own.

The Apple Watch may not have the prestige of a luxury timepiece, but it does what I need it to do. And I am content.

Perhaps this is one of the freedoms we discover when we learn to live as stewards rather than owners: we become free to enjoy what we have without being enslaved by what we do not have.

If lifestyle spending is contributing to debt across so many age groups in Singapore, perhaps we need to examine not only our budgets, but also our hearts.

Before making your next discretionary purchase, pause and ask yourself:

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) tells us:

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

Our ultimate security is not found in our bank accounts, our possessions or our ability to maintain a particular lifestyle. It is found in the Lord, who promises never to leave us.

Let us not spend our lives working harder, earning more and accumulating possessions, only to discover that we have sacrificed our peace, financial freedom and opportunities to serve God along the way.

Remember, we are not called to accumulate the most, but to steward faithfully what God has entrusted to us.

May we learn to distinguish between what we want and what we truly need, between enjoying God's blessings and becoming enslaved to our desires.

May we live simply, give generously and remain content in Christ.

Because in the end, the question is not how much we can afford to buy, but how faithfully we have used what the Lord has entrusted to us.

Blessings,

David Poh

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