What I am about to write will be thought to be almost 'un-American.'
Here goes: We all should re-think how we celebrate Christmas this year! Why this note now? Because the orgy of consumer spending is set to kick off in just four days on the infamous 'Black Friday' that follows Thanksgiving.
There is a big LIE that we learn as toddlers which continues to deceive many people to the grave; I am what I own. A variant is; I will be happy when I own ______ . I am not exempt, either. I want a 42" LCD HD 1080i TV, even though the TV I have works perfectly well. I just want it. My last two forays to stores have included at least 15 minutes of gazing on large screen TV's with deep longing and the urge to buy one screaming in my mind. Is there anything wrong with a bigger TV? No, of course not. What I must deal with is the deception: 'Jerry, you will be happy and more cool if you buy it!' If I buy a new TV the decision should be about the functional place it has in my life. If the purchase is made in an attempt to soothe my soul or to try prove my worth as a person to myself, I only make the big lie stronger in my life! I am wise enough to know that even if I buy one, in a couple of months my 'want-er' will be demanding something else telling me that it will make me happy.
We manage to conveniently ignore much of what the New Testament says about materialism and/or greed. One does not need to understand Koine Greek (the original language of the NT) or have a Master's degree in Biblical studies to grasp the truth. Here are a couple of those passages.
- "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." (1 Timothy 6:7-8, NIV)
- "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." (Hebrews 13:5, NIV)
- "I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." (Philippians 4:10-12, NLT)
Here's the keystone truth, from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15, NIV) In other words, 'we are not defined by what we own!'
Before you jump into the typical spending spree that has come to define an American Christmas, prayerfully meditate on those passages. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to enter joyfully into the discipline of 'fasting' - yes, that ancient choice to say no to desires of the body that refocuses our love towards God, the Spirit. Perhaps the best fast this month would be the 'mall fast!' One of my 'fasts' this month will be not reading all of those advertising inserts that offer 40% off retail, that seduce me with not so subtle messages that 'the good life' can be purchased!
The gifts that I do buy this year I want to be thoughtful, chosen as an expression of love, not given to satisfy a sense of obligation. No, I am not Scrooge. This has nothing to do with wanting to hang onto my money. I pray these choices will be part of learning to give and receive the best gifts, those that will not lose their luster a few days after the wrapping paper is torn off.
Let this great promise wrap you in peace today and then go love others extravagantly.
"My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.... My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. ...
My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. ...
This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other." - 1 John 4: 1,4, 7, 10-11, The Message
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