Why Love is Greater than Luxury

I love steak. I have a steak aging fridge at home, and one of my top five meals ever was a Florentine steak in Tuscany — thick, perfectly seasoned, and cooked to perfection. I appreciate a good, juicy cut of beef. But every day of the week, I would rather have a simple salad with friends who genuinely love each other than a massive, perfectly cooked tomahawk steak with people who hate me.

This isn’t just a personal preference — it’s biblical wisdom. “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.” — Proverbs 15:17 We live in a world that celebrates excess. Bigger is better, more is merrier, and luxury is often seen as the highest goal. But the ancient wisdom of Proverbs flips this thinking on its head: it is better to share a simple salad meal with love than to feast on a lavish steak surrounded by bitterness and conflict.

The imagery is explicit. The “dinner of herbs” is a modest meal — perhaps a simple salad, while the “fattened ox” is the epitome of a feast, an expensive and indulgent dish. But the key is not what is on the table, but who is around it and the atmosphere that fills the room.

This principle is not just about food — it speaks to the value of relationships over riches. A quiet, humble home where love, kindness, and respect abound is far superior to a mansion filled with resentment, anger, and division. A couple may drive an old car, live in a modest home, and enjoy quiet nights watching movies together. Still, if love is present, they are far richer than a wealthy family whose expensive lifestyle is overshadowed by constant conflict.

In another verse, Proverbs 17:1 reinforces this idea: “Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.” These words call us to examine our values on peace and love versus material success.

But how do we practically live out this wisdom? Here are a few ways:

1. Choose Love Over Luxury: When making decisions—from how you spend your money to how you use your time—ask yourself if your choices enhance your relationships or simply increase your possessions.
2. Create an Atmosphere of Peace: Make your home a place of kindness, forgiveness, and understanding. Resolve conflicts quickly. Pray together as a family.
3. Celebrate Simplicity: Embrace the joy of simple pleasures — a shared meal, an evening walk, a conversation without distractions.
4. Seek God’s Wisdom: Regularly reflect on Scriptures like Proverbs 15:17 and 17:1. Let God’s Word reshape how you define true prosperity.

In a world that pushes us to chase more, remember that the best things in life are not always the most expensive. True richness is found where love abounds. May we learn to appreciate the humble salad of love over the lavish steak of strife.

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.