I realize that the name of this post is somewhat ironic, considering that I am writing this the day after Thanksgiving. And I'll be the first to confess that I made a glutton of myself yesterday at Thanksgiving dinner--and enjoyed it a great deal!
But I am not thinking of gluttony as it relates to food for the purposes of this post. I am thinking in a much broader sense about our consumer culture and our insatiable quest for more, more, more. There is just no end to it: more clothes, bigger houses, fancier cars, better food, exciting vacations, upscale name brands, electronic gadgets, stylish haircuts, youthful skin, whiter teeth...
The list is endless. And every time I turn around, my lust for more is being fueled by the monolithic and pervasive god of marketing. Before I even have the chance to figure out that I am backward, unattractive and uncouth, the sly marketer has whispered it in my ear, all the while patting me on the back and offering to solve my woes for a small price. Or sometimes, for a very large price. But make no mistake. His solution is temporary. And he knows that no matter what the initial dose cost, I am likely to return again and again, seeking to be made cutting-edge, beautiful and elegant all over again.
Like I said, there is just no end to it.
Today, I read a scathing commentary on the greed that is so pervasive in our American culture. And I was cut to the bone by the truth of it. The commentary was part of an email devotional series that I subscribe to. As soon as I finished reading it, I glanced at the rest of the email waiting in my inbox. At least a dozen of them promised great deals and "secret" sales on things that I quite frankly don't need. The juxtaposition of the two got my attention.
Now, don't get me wrong here. Wealth is not evil. Money and things and even luxury are not bad in and of themselves. But they are not necessarily good either. Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25) He also said that you cannot serve both God and riches. (Matthew 6:24) You will end up serving one and despising the other.
With the Christmas season and all of its excesses fast approaching, it's a good time to stop and think about who you are serving. Is it really God? Or is it a bunch of glittery junk that is worthless in the end?
But I am not thinking of gluttony as it relates to food for the purposes of this post. I am thinking in a much broader sense about our consumer culture and our insatiable quest for more, more, more. There is just no end to it: more clothes, bigger houses, fancier cars, better food, exciting vacations, upscale name brands, electronic gadgets, stylish haircuts, youthful skin, whiter teeth...
The list is endless. And every time I turn around, my lust for more is being fueled by the monolithic and pervasive god of marketing. Before I even have the chance to figure out that I am backward, unattractive and uncouth, the sly marketer has whispered it in my ear, all the while patting me on the back and offering to solve my woes for a small price. Or sometimes, for a very large price. But make no mistake. His solution is temporary. And he knows that no matter what the initial dose cost, I am likely to return again and again, seeking to be made cutting-edge, beautiful and elegant all over again.
Like I said, there is just no end to it.
Today, I read a scathing commentary on the greed that is so pervasive in our American culture. And I was cut to the bone by the truth of it. The commentary was part of an email devotional series that I subscribe to. As soon as I finished reading it, I glanced at the rest of the email waiting in my inbox. At least a dozen of them promised great deals and "secret" sales on things that I quite frankly don't need. The juxtaposition of the two got my attention.
Now, don't get me wrong here. Wealth is not evil. Money and things and even luxury are not bad in and of themselves. But they are not necessarily good either. Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:25) He also said that you cannot serve both God and riches. (Matthew 6:24) You will end up serving one and despising the other.
With the Christmas season and all of its excesses fast approaching, it's a good time to stop and think about who you are serving. Is it really God? Or is it a bunch of glittery junk that is worthless in the end?
Proverbs 30:8
"Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches--Feed me with the food allotted to me; Lest I be full and deny You and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God."
2 comments:
In "The Celebration of Discipline" Richard Foster calls the quest of things psychotic. The chapter on simplicity is excellent. Christ never owned a home and had to borrow a table and a room to host the last supper. Isn't that something to consider.
I couldn't agree with you more. This morning at Bible study, my co-leader was shocked that I hadn't started "Christmas shopping" yet (as I write this, it is December 3rd). I explained that we have a 1-gift-per-child rule in our household, and I'd rather give money to missions than waste it on decorations and gadgets. The extreme consumer-driven retail business at this time of the year actually used to depress me (Christmas in general often had that effect on me), but not really anymore. My husband and I just refuse to buy into it, and raise our kids to honor God 365 days a year - not just associate Dec. 25th with God and "stuff".
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