Christmas Catalogs and Greed

Have they arrived at your house? Recently we received christmas catalogs from Toys R Us, Target, Walmart, JCPenny and on and on it goes. My 5 1/2 year old son loves to get the mail and when these arrived he was so excited. He has enjoyed flipping the pages and dreaming of receiving some of these toys. But what started out as innocent fun - just flipping through the catalogs - has birthed into a favorite past time.

When he wakes up in the morning the first thing he wants to do is flip through the catalogs. As I watch him I realize that these catalogs are a breeding ground for greed. So I mentioned my concern to my oldest (and wiser) sister who told me - she always throws these out! This should have been the obvious solution - although I did want my kids to direct me towards what they'd like for Christmas - but at this point they have circled half the catalog - so it's not working!

Greed - it is inside of all of us. As a matter of fact, when I sit back and think about it - how can I judge my son - when his own mother sits and ponders the Sunday ads faithfully every week? Maybe he's emulating me?

Jesus says in Luke 12:15 "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." So I ask myself - if I believe this - why do I have such an abundance of possesions? According to Consumer Reports, 12 million Americans are still paying off last year's Christmas - yikes!

Although I don't circle half the things I am looking at - as I receive all these Christmas catalogs - I am seeing things that appeal to this mommy also. Christmas is about giving - which requires shopping. And shopping can be filled with temptations if you lack self-control in this area. So let me encourage you to be aware - I John 2:16 says "the cravings of the sinful man and the lust of the eyes... come not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

I am by no means a shopaholic (and I have never carried a balance on a credit card - ever)- but I am a magnet to every deal - so I have to actively guard myself against the lust of the eyes and the cravings of my flesh! So as you shop Jesus reminds us, "Watch out! Be on your guard!"

Walk with the King!

Courtney

http://www.womenlivingwell.org/