We’ve
arrived in December, which means it’s officially “the season to be merry” –
even though some retailers would want us to believe it arrived around the end
of August. For many of them, it’s also “the season for wanting more,” so the
sooner the better.
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| Toys have become virtually synonymous with Christmas. |
Living in a
consumer society, it’s our annual opportunity to exercise our skills at
conspicuous consumption. Shoppers, some proudly wearing scars from their annual
Black Friday pilgrimages, will invest many hours over the next few weeks
keeping cash registers humming and warming the hearts of merchandisers. Some will
spend money they don’t have to buy things they don’t need for people they don’t
like. All in the spirit of displaying “good will.”
It’s a
cautionary time when we should beware of greed – AKA “the Monster of More,” as
preacher Bill Hybels calls it.
We all
wrestle with it. It’s nice to get new clothes, whether you’re very fashionable
or just get tired of the old duds. Or books, if you’re among those who still
appreciate bound volumes made of actual paper and real ink. Or the latest
electronic gizmos. There’s no shortage of those, and there’s always a newer
version of what you already have. Or toys for all ages. They too seem unlimited
in supply.
When I was
a boy, I loved paging through the annual Sears & Roebuck “Wish Book,” conjuring
fantasies of what treasures I might find gaily wrapped under the tree on
Christmas morning. We learn about greed at a very early age.
So, it’s
time to ask the tough questions: Ones like, “How much is enough?” Or, “How much
is too much?”
There are
no simple, precise answers to those questions. Especially since we’ve become conditioned
for blurring the lines between needs
and wants. However, the Scriptures
say much about how we can overcome the “Monster of More.” Here’s a sampling:
“Delight yourself in the Lord and he
will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Contrary to what “prosperity theology”
might teach, this doesn’t mean God promises to provide whatever we want.
Instead, it gives the assurance that if we find delight in the Lord and make
Him preeminent in our lives, He will be the determiner of what we desire.
“But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Similarly, Jesus
taught that when God is given top priority in our lives, we
can be assured He will provide for all our needs. We may still have “wants,”
but not any real needs.
“I am not saying this
because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the
circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation,
whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:11-12). In our materialistic
society, contentment is not a virtue that is widely encouraged. The “Monster of
More,” we’re told, is our friend – a motivator for striving to earn and acquire
more. In God’s economy, however, contentment is highly prized, as the apostle
Paul wrote.
How can we cultivate
contentment when everything around us argues that we need more and more? The
apostle presented the secret in the next verse: “I can do through [Christ] who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13),
including being content with our present circumstances.
Finally, there’s the old
stand-by, Christ’s exhortation that is often uttered as a cliché, but holds
true just the same: “It is more blessed
to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). By striving for excellence in the
art of giving, we shift our focus off ourselves and onto others. At the same
time, we discover that through giving, we will receive more than we could ever
have imagined.
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