Materialism

Daily Byte

So who the heck went and stole Christmas anyway? Here’s the thing: not only was Christmas stolen but it was done is such a way that nobody even noticed! “How awful,” I hear you say, “how terrible. By the way, what on earth are you talking about? Christmas hasn’t been stolen. There it is on the calendar – December 25th as usual.”

But before you fob me off as yet another religious loony, let me make my point. Christmas has been stolen because it’s meaning and identity has so radically changed over the last few decades. Since when did Christmas move from being a time of sharing, and giving, and celebrating God to a time of spending, and taking, and celebrating materialism? Why is Christmas so identified these days by creaking bank accounts, overdrawn credit cards and empty wallets? Of the everyday issues that threaten to kill off our Christmas spirits perhaps materialism is the worst of them because it is so subtle and yet so destructive.

Jesus said it himself: “a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions.” Materialism is an unhealthy obsession with the possession of things and sadly Christmas is now the season where the possession of things is promoted to sickening excess. It goes without saying that this is not the original reason Christmas was set aside as a major event in our calendar. Christmas is meant to be a time when we celebrate the extravagant generosity of God’s love in sending us Jesus. Christmas is to be remembered as a time of giving and sharing, not indulging and spending.

Materialism potentially steals the very spirit of Christmas from us because its focus is at such odds with the original intent of this season. Perhaps it is time that we actively take a stand against materialism by focusing our energies on God and on obeying God’s call to share with others.

Pray As You Go

Lord God, we know that it is your nature to be extravagantly generous in love and mercy. Christmas is a time of remembering how you have held nothing back from us through the gift of Jesus to the world. Forgive us for how easily we allow this season to be defined by possessions rather than the celebration of your presence among us. Transform our attitudes to this season and help us to live with the same generous giving to others that is in your nature. Amen.

Focus Reading

Luke 12:15 (NIV)

Then Jesus said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions."