"At my age, wanting nice things is vanity when I should focus on eternal treasures."
How it sounds in your head: I'm closer to heaven than to my twenties. Shouldn't I be more spiritual now, less interested in earthly stuff? Wanting that beautiful home or luxury feels shallow when eternity is what matters. Maybe materialism at 50 means I'm backsliding.
"As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God."
-- Ecclesiastes 5:19Religious false dichotomy preached that spiritual maturity equals material disinterest.
Every sermon on 'laying up treasures in heaven' felt like condemnation for wanting beautiful things on earth. You learned that wanting both made you double-minded, so you killed desires calling it holiness.
God offered Solomon anything, and when he asked for wisdom, God gave him THAT plus riches and honor he DIDN'T ask for. God wasn't offended by material blessing alongside spiritual gifts—He ADDED abundance to wisdom instantly.
I REFUSE the lie that wanting beauty at my age is shallow vanity. IT IS WRITTEN that God gives riches and wealth as His GIFT and gives power to REJOICE in it. My desire for nice things doesn't diminish my spiritual life; God celebrates BOTH. IT IS WRITTEN that He gives richly all things to enjoy. The BARAK blessing on Abraham included livestock, silver, gold—material abundance was part of covenant, not in conflict with it. I receive heaven AND earth, spiritual AND material, without guilt.
The Father isn't waiting for you to become 'spiritual enough' to stop wanting beautiful things. He's preparing rooms in heaven AND abundance on earth, running toward you with BOTH robe and ring—He never makes you choose between His gifts.