Consumerism

Brad Vaughn (aka Jackson Wu) has a great post on consumerism

Here's the takeaway line:

We shouldn’t start by asking whether we’re consumeristic. We should assume we are until proven otherwise.

I was once asked to teach a series of classes on 1 John at a church we were a part of. The section on “Love not the world” was very enlightening. I began the class by asking them to list the things of the world. They gave me a long list of stuff that I wrote on the white board. Then, I asked them if they had any of these things. All of a sudden, those things weren’t any longer “of the world.” I wasn’t surprised, but I was somewhat taken aback by the vehemence of their defense of the very same things they so confidently said were of the world less than five minutes earlier.

Not claiming immunity here! I really do need that $150 LXX grammar and that $200 LXX lexicon that I’ve been lusting over for a few years now. Right? But to get the most out of it, I’ll need to purchase the Göttingen LXX volumes.

Or that new $600 smart direct drive bike trainer because the dumb wheel-on one I’m using now is almost ten years old and is starting to have noisy bearings—but to get the most out of it, I’ll need to buy x, y, and z.

Or my Fitbit is only holding a charge for 36 hours, so I need a new one—and that Versa 4 looks so nice, or better yet, how about that $500 Garmin one? Think of the extra data I’d have, but to get the most out of it, I’d need a, b, and c.

The list goes on and on.

16 I say be guided by the Spirit and you won’t carry out your selfish desires.… 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the self with its passions and its desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. (Gal 5:16, 24–25 CEB)

</idle musing>