Slaves not to Greed, but to Christ

Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers over this present darkness, and evil spiritual forces in the heavenly places. Eph. 6:12

In the Spring 1955 edition of the Journal of Retailing, economist Victor Lebow wrote,

"Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. The measure of social status, of social acceptance, of prestige, is now to be found in our consumptive patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives today expressed in consumptive terms. The greater the pressures upon the individual to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more does he tend to express his aspirations and his individuality in terms of what he wears, drives, eats- his home, his car, his pattern of food serving, his hobbies. These commodities and services must be offered to the consumer with a special urgency. We require not only “forced draft” consumption, but “expensive” consumption as well. We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing pace."

Whether his attitude was encouraging and accepting of, or critical of this phenomenon of consumption is really irrelevant. Americans, from the leader of the nation to the least influential citizen, have been directly affected by the drive to consume. The professing Christian President George W. Bush encouraged Americans to go and shop after September 11, 2001, in an attempt to keep the economy from tanking. While this may seem to make economic sense, Americans have become nationally and personally culpable of the worship of a golden idol. We celebrate each holiday - shortened from Holy Day - by shopping. Each rite of passage, each birthday, each graduation, each celebration, includes shopping.

Americans have invited, welcomed, and enjoyed the spirit of Greed. Our politicians and biggest businesses have invited Greed to take over our country and become our protector since the 50's, and we've grown fatter and fatter under Its rule. We still believe in Its ability to save us. We teach our children to serve It. "Do well in school so you can make lots of money and have lots of nice things someday!" We listen to every lie It says and believe every promise It makes.

As with every evil spirit, Greed has been easy to invite and easy to welcome, but it is absolutely essential that we cast It out and invite the Lord to return to His rightful place. Greed has been a cruel tyrant. It has made us into slaves, and makes us into slave owners. "I need those shoes, I don't care where or how they were made!" We are all guilty. We all need to be rescued and liberated.

Thanks be to God, who sets the captives free! Thanks be to God for freeing us from our master Greed and offering Himself in return! Thanks be to our Savior Jesus for ransoming us with His blood! Thanks be to God Who is freeing the human slaves who make the products we thought we had to have! October is full of reminders that we live in a spiritual world. Each time you see a ghost decoration, pray for the increase of the Spirit of God. Pray with us for the liberation of our world, country, and selves. We live in the Kingdom of Heaven. We are Its citizens. Jesus has bought us from slavery and now gives us the privilege to fight for Him. Let's resist the invasion of the kingdom of darkness and live under the Rule of our glorious and precious King.