By Janet Dickson // Biblical Wisdom // EEW Magazine Online

Buying new stuff is as quick as a click thanks to Amazon and the gazillions of other online shopping sites! If you don’t control your impulses, before you know it, you’ll have a bunch of stuff you don’t need—and even some things you want—that don’t fit in the budget.

The Christian in you will know and want to do better, but those sales, marketing pitches, and pleasures of the luxe life (also known as the soft life) will keep calling you. The more you answer, the deeper you will fall down the rabbit hole of consumerism and debt.

Consumerism, the idea that a person's well-being and happiness depend fundamentally on obtaining more material possessions, is so widely embraced that hardly anyone gives it a second thought. In fact, the world teaches you that you “deserve” the finer things in life and should not feel guilty about craving and pursuing them.

But what about that fruit of the spirit known as temperance or self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)? It’s there to help you avoid indulging your insatiable appetite for more and instead embrace “godliness with contentment” which 1 Timothy 6:6-11 talks about:

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 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.

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Some equate the idea of being content with enough with a complacency mindset. They shame you by accusing you of being satisfied with mediocrity. The ubiquitous they are typically the ones trapped in grind culture fueled by capitalism that teaches them to make everything a product to be sold to the highest bidder.

Capitalists prey on consumers whose need to increase ownership of goods and services has morphed into a devastating psychological addiction that sucks dry their financial resources and well-being. Americans are buried under nearly $1 trillion in credit card debt, owing a record $986 billion on their charge cards, up 17% from a year earlier, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.  

Where does it end?

Scripture wisely warns against the unquenchable need to store up worldly treasures (Matthew 6:19-20) which is at the heart of materialism in today’s free market economy.

Yet, countless Christians find themselves chasing luxury only to end up in misery. If that’s you, don’t be ashamed, and don’t assume you are alone. Millions just like you are struggling to tame their voracious appetites for carnal things. The first step in overcoming this ordeal is recognizing it for what it is: greed.

As the capitalistic vultures swirl selling you everything from fast food to fast money, pray for wisdom and strength to say no to consumerism. Ask God to reveal His will for your life. Discipline yourself through Scripture which will assist you in developing a strong Kingdom mindset that rejects consumerism and craves the will of God above all else.

The alternative is joining the rat race and chasing the ever elusive quest for more that will destroy you in the long run.

Prayer: God, help me to say no to consumerism culture that glorifies the pleasures of the world and instead seek to please You in all I say and do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.