Run to Your House of Worship! Run!

I've had the blessing of being ill that last few days.  Yep, I said blessing.  It has been as though God wanted me to sit still and listen. I did, and Many of the sounds I've heard were beautiful. I've learned some new chords on my guitar and enjoyed some awesome concerts and movies, but one sound that I find disturbing is the clanging gong of Americans spending, buying and wanting more than they need or can pay for. I've heard it all over the news, seen it in print and online just about everywhere I look.  I just read that one local store had people in line all night because they had deep fryers, crock pots and candle holders on sale for $10. huh? So you pitch a tent and rise before the sun to grab yet another something that you really don't NEED because it's supposedly a great DEAL?  Then use a credit card you can't pay off to buy it and feel better about the direction of your life and the country you are privileged to live it in? 

Sorry for sounding crass, but we Americans just love our sports, and retailers have created a new one - it's called shopping - and our culture seems to have swallowed the hook along with the bait! What's even crazier is that our whole system depends on this retail-religion to survive...

Then I read about the folks who actually trampled a retail clerk to death trying to get inside their "house of retail worship" so they could get just a bit closer to their retail-god and get it done right for once at Christmas...  can't help but wonder what it would be like if God's Kids ran to THEIR house of worship with that kind of zeal.  What if every Christ follower gave away more than they spent on cheap junk from China...  what would that look like? Lord help us all run to the RIGHT house of worship this season and every season.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

Comments

[GodsBabyGirl]

I have for the last 5 years turned my family around from buying Christmas presents unless it is for Jesus. How we do it, we buy for others less fortunate than ourselves. We don't go early, we just go when we go and give, give, give. I believe this is the true spirit of Christmas because if you have money to spend, that is a blessing, why not be a blessing to someone else. Is that not what God did, He is God, the best of the best so He gave Himself to us as a blessing, that we might in turn give of ourselves (not just money, our talent, our testimonies, and our treasurers) to others. Guess what happens then, it comes right back to you!

[Sunny Cain]

Agreed! My fam spent the entire day hunting for bargains with money they saved all year....but, I couldn't help thinking about what better use the money could've gone too...oy vey!

[princess wendy]

I agree, somewhat...I do go out on Friday very early for the pure thrill and experience- when else can I shop at 5am? But I go with a list and only for those things I 'need' for gifts, and with CASH. It's a hard balance...

[tina]

It's true. Thursday night I went through all of the sale ads, and I could not find ONE thing that I actually needed, or could justify buying. I took Liv clothes shopping yeterday (left the credit cards at home ; ) and it was a madhouse! We could only handle the crowds for so long, so we left and had a long dinner. I wonder how many peeps could actually afford what they were buying?