Today is cyber Monday. Last Friday was black Friday. As a Christian are you caught up in the mad rush to acquire new things at “deeply discounted” prices that these two days involve? You shouldn’t be. I can see it if you need a new TV or some other expensive item, but in general we should stay away from the mad rush to acquire whatever we can at any price.

The bible teaches us to not covet the material things of this world, but all of us are sometimes guilty of wanting something just because our neighbor or someone else we think we need to compete with has it. This object of competition between neighbors is said to be one of the staples of suburban living, but as Christians we should not get involved in a mad rush to acquire material possessions for any reason.

The Christmas season is coming up and neither should we get caught up in some sort of competition to buy the best gifts for our kids or anyone else. We should give gifts that are needed by the recipient and not feel we have to spend a lot of money on them. This is the same spirit of covetousness that the bible teaches we are to avoid.

It would be better to bless others in a spiritual sense this holiday season by speaking of the things of God (as we should at any season), than to spend thousands of dollars on a gift that the recipient may enjoy for a little while and then discard. Things affecting their eternal soul are much more important than anything we could give them of a material nature.

We are told to lay up treasures in heaven and not on the earth (Matthew 6:19-21). This means that we should not place too much value in material things which eventually wear out or are otherwise destroyed, but that our desires in life should be for heavenly things that cannot be destroyed and that do not pass away. If our heart is right in this matter, we will not get caught up in the mad rush for material things that began last Friday and will last until the New Year begins, if not longer.

And what of this earth? Peter tells us that it will be destroyed and that there will be a new heavens and a new earth–that is, heaven (2 Peter 3:10-13). It will do us no good in the long run to acquire everything we can in this world. Rather, we should be very vigilant and ever watchful for the return of the Lord, which will happen without warning and could happen at any moment. When He does come, the earth and all the things in it, as well as the entire universe, will be done away with.

So, are we ready for the return of the Lord. If we are caught up in a mad rush to acquire the goods and wealth of this world I would say that we are not. Focus your life on God and the get right with Him, being what He wants you to be in all things, before it is too late and you will no longer have the opportunity.

If we can do this ourselves and urge others to do the same this Holiday season, it will be much more rewarding than any thing we might acquire on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. So, let’s turn to God and get right with Him before it is too late.

May God bless you and keep you until next time.