9.00am and 10.30am Sunday 4 May 2003
Rev Des Botting
Readings: Luke 12:32-34; Philippians 4:10-20
(This message is the third in a series of messages on Modern Day idolatries. Much of the material for this series is gleaned from the second part of Marva Dawns book, Is It A Lost Cause? Having the Heart of God for the Churchs Children (Grand Rapid, MI: Eerdmans, 1997).
One of the good things about Easter is that it is not subjected to quite the same amount of commercialism, as is Christmas. There are Easter eggs, bunnies, and hot cross buns, but nothing like the bombardment of advertising that fills our letterboxes and TV screens at the end of each year. The Christian Festival of Pentecost fares even better. The advertisers havent got hold of that one, and yet it celebrates the wonderful gift of Gods Spirit coming amongst His people to enable them to be Gods resurrection community.
Our subject this morning is How to find contentment in a consumer society. To begin with we need to consider the idolatry of consumerism. Did you know that consumption could be an addiction? Did you know that there is instilled in us, just from living in an affluent society, a massive and often unconscious belief system that kicks into play whenever we are in the supermarket or shopping mall? To a great extent we act instinctively when it comes to choosing what we want to buy. If we took the time to ask ourselves, why am I buying this particular brand of product at this particular supermarket, it might surprise us discover the assumptions and beliefs that underlie our actions.
Murray Hofmans-Sheard, has written an article in the latest issue of Reality,[1] the official publication of the Bible College of NZ, entitled Addicted to Consumption. In it he says that much has been written arguing that changes in personal lifestyle are vital for planetary well-being, global justice and our own spiritual and physical health. Most of us would agree that such goals are desirable. But the challenge comes in translating these values into action: that is, to take our values to the shopping mall. We may want to live more simply so we have more to give away. We may want to be healthier and create less damage to the environment. But beneath those professed values lie a whole host of competing ones.
Some of our deepest values are so ingrained that we dont even think about them. And that is fine if they flow from a biblical worldview. But there are values that run counter to the biblical worldview that put self first, blind us to others, and deafen our ears to the voice of God. It is not easy to change these so that we act to promote what we most deeply believe in, and what is in the best interests for our whole community. For many today, living in a spiral of escalating affluence is no longer experienced as a fortunate option but as a matter of absolute necessity. The article concludes, In the Western world the drug of consumption has replaced the God-inspired need for community. Small groups of like-minded people are needed to provide the support for breaking long-instilled habits, and to help people find their identity in Christ rather than in things.
What does the Bible have to say on this issue? We read that Jesus said in Luke, You cannot be the slave of two masters. You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than to the other. You cant serve God and money.[2] When we talk about consumption and consumerism, we are really talking about what the older versions of the Bible call Mammon. This is translated in various ways. The CEV, NEB and NIV translates it as money, the NRSV wealth, William Barclay material things, J. B. Phillips the power of money, and The Message as the Bank. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as wealth regarded as an idol or evil influence. It is a Chaldean word meaning riches. It is used in only two passages of the New Testament, once in Matthew 6 and three times in Luke 16.[3] Luke uses the expression mammon of unrighteousness, which the Dictionary defines as wealth ill-used or ill-gained. It is called unrighteous, or, belonging to unrighteousness, because it is the characteristic and representative object and delight and desire of the selfish and unrighteous world; their love of it being the root of all evil.[4] From our Lords use of the word we can see that it always stands in competition to God for the affections of humankind.
This is of concern both for parents and churches because, as J. Christoph Arnold writes, in our society, all too often what sways our decisions is not really our children, nor even their futures, but money. Arnold continues,
What does it really mean to give a child love? Many parents, especially those of us who are away from home for (long periods of time), try to deal with our feelings of guilt by bringing home gifts for our children. But we forget that what our children really want, and need, is time and attentiveness, a listening ear and an encouraging word, which are far more valuable than any material thing we can give them.
We cannot deny that, as a whole, our society is driven not by love but by the spirit of materialism, which the Bible calls Mammon. Mammon is more than money it is greed, selfishness, and personal ambition; violence, hatred, and ruthless competition. And it is diametrically opposed to the spirit of childlikeness and of God
If we are determined to go the way of Jesus, we must see Mammon for what it is an enemy of childlikeness, of children, and of God. Jesus declared war on the spirit of Mammon; his way was and is the way of sharing, of serving and loving others, even if that means bearing a heavy cross.[5]
How can we as a Christian community stand against the rampant materialism, deliberately choose to be, and diligently practice being, an alternate society, and help our children to realise that the gods of this world will never satisfy our infinite yearning for God?
First we need to understand
I. The Root and Fruit of our Societys Consumerism and the hopelessness of it. In essence the basic root of Consumerism is
- trying to meet ones inner longing for GOD with things. And the fruit of that is
- the perpetual pursuit of MATERIAL possessions. That is, we try and fill this inner longing with more and more things. This is what brings on a great proportion of the suffering experienced in our culture.
Consumerism isnt just a current problem. It has plagued the world since the beginning of time. The Bible is full of stories of people disregarding Gods counsel to possess or hold on to things that would stand between them and God, from Adam and Eves desire for wisdom in the Garden of Eden, to Achans stealing the beautiful Babylonian Robe along with gold and silver when the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, and the rich and important man who came to Jesus and went away gloomy and sad.[6] Isaiah 55, which Jesus quotes in John 6, says very clearly that it is impossible for possessions ever to quench our hunger for more of them. It says, Why work hard for something that doesnt satisfy.[7]
In the twentieth century, however,
Consumerism is aggravated by a number of things. One is
- the powerful role of the MEDIA. Advertising causes people to confuse their priorities, or to work like crazy, or to go into credit card debit in order to have these things that promise to make life better and easier. Billions of dollars are specifically directed to feed our endless lust for possessions with commercials that constantly convince us that we need more. Notice that most advertisements dont say much about the product theyre advertising, but are directed at appealing to our anxieties and fancies. Young people in particular, in their search for identity and acceptance, are easy prey. Advertising promises so much. This brings young people under
- the pressure to CONFORM, and so they bow to peer pressure, go along with the latest fads or idols, and choose a lifestyle of addiction to things. Linked with this is
- the belief that you are what you OWN, This is what the world says, and so people look to the marketers to know what is important. All this can be part of
- the search for IDENTITY that especially young people go through, but is true for everyone. Murray Hofmans-Sheard says that we need to find our identity in Christ rather than things. It is not the fact that we are consumers, or what we own that makes us what we are. Jesus made this very clear in his response to the man who wanted him to make his brother give him his share of the family inheritance. He said, ones life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.[8]
In our acquisitive and covetous world, Gods people must deliberately nurture the churchs children within a community of generosity and self-sacrifice is we want them to choose
II The ALTERNATIVE culture of the Kingdom of God, and to resist societys materialism and greed.
- Our example: is JESUS. He gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us.[9] If we by our lives show the gracious emptying and self-giving of Jesus, that love will draw our children into Gods community, and will draw others, too. Our children and friends will be helped to find their deepest yearnings met in God, through their participation in the churchs ministry of love. God will use this to fashion them into selfless people who find their true identity in relationship with Him.
It is not just money itself that is of concern, but the deep attitudes that govern our spending of it. It is teaching our children that when we give to God cheerfully and according to His guidelines, He has promised to provide not only for our needs, but also to give us enough so that we can help others. Paul says, God can bless you with everything you need, and youll always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others.[10] This means that we must deliberately counteract our societys lack of concern about caring for those in need.
Many children today seem to have no idea of the value of things, no ability to delay gratification, no sense of the meaning of life and work. Many of the things they are given are taken for granted. This is why it is good for them to participate in things like the 40 hour famine as it begins to give them an idea of what it is like for the majority of people in third world countries. Psychologists know that life is happier if a person is content, and contentment is a greater possibility if one has learned to want only what one needs, rather than to need everything one wants. We, and our children, have to learn, like Paul, to be satisfied with whatever (we) have.[11]
One way we can do this is in how we celebrate
- CHRISTMAS: Is it a Holiday or HOLY DAY? What might we do to celebrate Christmas as a holy day? You might remember that its date was first set purposely to coincide with the Roman festival of the returning of the sun, so that it was initially a pagan holiday. The first Christians, in order to celebrate it, used that riotous festival to mask their holy one; we need to do the same alternative consciousness to re-create the Christmas season. How can we build in the churchs children an excitement and expectation that it is the celebration of the coming of Gods Son we are waiting for, and not Santa Claus. Some people use Advent wreaths and light a candle each evening when the family has prayers together, with a special candle for Christmas Eve to remind them that Jesus is the Light of the World. Worship is a vital part of this celebration. The wise men lead the way for us, as When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him.[12] There are many resources available that can help parents as well as the church to do this.
The purpose of this is to help our children to have a different goal for Christmas, a slower pace, an alternative to offer to their friends. If worship is the focus, and full participation in it the means, then presents can take their proper place as signs of love and symbols of Gods immense generosity.
You might ask, But whats wrong with Santa Claus? Its because the way he is described in our society gets the real message of Christmas backwards. Children are told that if theyre good, then theyll be rewarded. Now if that is the case, then presents are not really gifts. Jesus came to tell us that even if (or because) we cannot be good, God gives us the greatest gift of all anyway. This brings home the alternate culture of the Kingdom of God regarding Christmas because it speaks of
- a theology of GRACE. But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.[13] It is because of Gods gift to us that we give gifts at Christmas, How radically different this is to the endless advertising connected with Santa which panders to childrens desire for more and more, and which deprives our gifts of their true significance.
There are all sorts of things that we can do as families and as a church family to make Christmas a holy day. Quite often we have had open house for those who are celebrating Christmas on their own. One Christmas, we invited a number of international students to share the midday meal with us. I am sure you have probably done things, too, and our children can probably come up with all sorts of ideas for letting our celebration of this holy day be a gift to others. One year we decided not to give each other presents but sent what we would have spent on gifts to the Bible Society to buy Bibles. The crucial point is to help our children know that what we believe influences the way we celebrate Christmas namely, that Jesus is not only the most wonderful and essential gift, but also the entire reason for the season its decorations, its customs, its practices. Our children need to observe us, and to participate themselves in, applying what we believe to daily life. Jesus said we cannot serve both God and Mammon; that choice needs to be made very clear especially at times like Christmas.
What is
III. The Antidote to Consumerism: STEWARDSHIP. The two key biblical ideas that express the essence of stewardship and which help us teach our children resistance to our societys materialistic comsumerism are first, that
a) EVERYTHING belongs to God. The Psalms tell us, The earth and everything on it belong to the LORD.[14] This idea makes children feel special because it emphasizes that God who owns everything, has entrusted them with material things, personal talents, and all the years of their life for the good of everyone and to bring God glory. Realising that our possessions really belong to God encourages us all to be careful of our things, to use them well, and to offer them freely for the needs of others. If children know that their toys are gifts to be stewarded, they will be more willing to share them with others. Realising that each day is a gift from God provides us with the urgency to use our time well for the sake of Gods purposes in the world. We can also point out to them the lies of the media that tries to convince us that we need more stuff to satisfy our deepest longings, and we can talk them through the issue of peer pressure, with its pull to conform to the latest, temporary fads.
The second scriptural idea that really assists our children in gaining a new attitude about consumerism is that of
b) TITHING. This is another way for children to learn that everything belongs to God. Tithing is not a law for us in the New Testament; it is a symbol of GRACE. When we teach our children from when they first earn income to give 10 percent to Gods work, and this is backed up from my own experience, it is never a burden but
1. a PRIVILEGE. It is a privilege to have a part in what Gods people are doing. It is essential that parents themselves recognize the privilege, the actual possibility of contributing to Gods purposes. This was how the Christians in Thessalonica felt about supporting Gods work. Paul wrote of them in glowing terms when he said, They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for Gods people.[15]
Secondly, tithing is
2. a PROMPT. That is, it is a gracious reminder that God cares about what we do with the rest of our money. King David was very aware of that when he prayed, But why should we be happy that we have given you these gifts? They belong to you, and we have only given back what is already yours.[16]
Thirdly, tithing is
3. a PROMISE. It is a great reminder that God will provide for our needs. I began tithing during my first year at work and in those 43 years we have never run short or been in want. There has always been enough to live on and to do what I believe we have been called to do. Pauls words from Philippians, I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus![17] has certainly been our experience. Tithing is a wonderful way for families to experience this provision of God. And tithing is only a start. Many give, in fact, most of us are capable of giving, a lot more that a tithe. Faith Missions Giving is one of the ways which we as a church provide for that. When the Bible speaks about tithes, it very often includes offering alongside of the tithe, so that Gods people were used to giving over and above the 10%. Our children may appreciate having a say in what that extra is given for. One of the reasons we encourage Faith Missions Giving, even for our children, is that it helps them gain and maintain a vision for mission, for as Jesus said, Your heart will always be where your treasure is.[18] Of course, its not only money the needs of the world require. We need to be involved in actions that put our lives and work and fellowship where our money is in the service of the world.
In order to raise children who can withstand the allures of materialistic consumerism, we need the support of the whole Christian community. If Christian parents band together, you will be more able to help your children resist the peer pressures demanding that they buy certain name-brand clothes, which are usually unreasonably expensive, and enable them to rebel against the unceasing bombardment of media advertising that fosters greed. So when our children whine for extra treats, when they scream for instant gratification, we can remind them that it is our godly choice not to indulge ourselves, and that we sometimes sacrifice pleasures for the sake of justice for others.
Christians can offer an alternative to the world around them by
c. promoting a GIFT Economy. This is a phrase used by Jean Elshtain to indicate the believers ability to give the free gift of himself or herself to others. The generosity in the life of Christ and His people can give those outside the Church models to resist consumerism. We need to consider both as parents and as a congregation what kinds of activities we could engage in that will build in our children the mind-set of a gift economy that we make careful decisions as Christians so that our behaviours and attitudes follow the generous way of Jesus in offering ourselves and our possessions for the sake of the worlds well-being. We can do this if our children learn to be content with what we have, and agree that we choose carefully how to spend our money so that we have more to give away to those in need. The concept of a gift economy must be part and parcel of our daily habits if we want our children to discover that, Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father[19] and to delight in Gods desire that we share them with the world. We are eager to do this because we want to, Thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words![20] that is, the gift of His Son.
[1] Reality: Christian Reflections on Todays World, #56 April/May 2003
[2] Luke 16:13, cf verses 9,11
[3] Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:9-13 (All Bible references are from the Contemporary English Version unless otherwise stated.)
[4] See M. R. Vincents Word Studies in the New Testament, on Luke 16:9, and 1 Timothy 6:10
[5] j. Christoph Arnold, A Little Child Shall Lead Them, The Plough 51 (Spring 1997): 13, 14, 15
[6] cf Genesis 3:6; Joshua 7:1, 20-22; Mark 10:17-22
[7] Isaiah 55:2
[8] Luke 12:15
[9] Philippians 2:7
[10] 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
[11] Philippians 4:11
[12] Matthew 2:11
[13] Romans 5:8
[14] Psalm 24:1
[15] 2 Corinthians 8:4
[16] 1 Chronicles 29:14
[17] Philippians 4:19
[18] Luke 12:34
[19] James 1:17a
[20] 2 Corinthians 9:15