To Buy or Not To Buy

Christmas is upon us and so is the pressure to over buy. I love the season but each year I am more aware of how we all can get caught in the materialistic whirlwind that is gift giving. At the core of our giving is love but what also exists is the belief that love must be shown though material gifts.

Christmas is upon us and so is the pressure to over buy. I love the season but each year I am more aware of how we all can get caught in the materialistic whirlwind that is gift giving. At the core of our giving is love but what also exists is the belief that love must be shown though material gifts.
Over the past year God has been showing me a larger global perspective of what the material world is like for most people. Gaining God’s perspective of the world is uncomfortable and challenging. We are forced to see our blessings, as well as the tremendous daily challenges of the majority of the world. The struggle for food, shelter and healthcare are a daily reality for the majority of the world. Issues like retirement, vacations and which smart phone to buy are the issues that we rich people deal with. I recall hearing something called “rich people problems” such as…. bad cell phone reception, cable outage, slow internet or running out of hot water in our morning shower. Are these really problems? Gaining a “God’s eye” of the world can help control the growth of materialism in my life.
Jesus said…. Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Matthew 6:19. So is it wrong to own nice things and save money for the future? I believe Jesus would say no but he would also tell us to never let those material things control us. How do we determine when enough is enough? Here are some suggestions from my material experience.
1. Distinguish between your needs and your wants. We confuse what is necessary with what is desirable. I can convince myself that a new cell phone is a necessity if I really want to. We all have that irrational ability to be drawn to that which we think will make us happy and many times it in the material realm. Make a list of those things that you truly believe are necessities in your life and you will be amazed at how much you have that are not on that list.

2. Before buying a particular desired item wait 30 days and see what happens. Most likely if it is not a need you will reconsider your purchase. Impulsive buying is a common experience for many of us and has deep spiritual and financial consequences. In every activity in life we are to be led by the Spirit and the same is true for our spending habits. Buying can be an emotional response to unfulfilled areas of our lives that God wants to satisfy.

3. Avoid the plastic. Credit cards make over spending easy. On average we spend 25% more with a credit card than when we use cash. It easy to spend more with a credit card because the pain is delayed since we have a month to pay it off. Use cash for all your purchases and set a Christmas budget that won’t produce debt.

4. Give to Jesus since it’s his birthday. We spend a lot around Christmas but we often do it at the expense of our giving to God. We tip waitresses 15 or 20 percent but we only give God 10%. Be generous with Jesus and you won’t regret it.

Happy Birthday Jesus!