Blog – Kingdom Lesson # 14 Consumerism vs Generosity. By Jim Banks www.jimandpatbanks.com www.traumaprayer.com
Back in covid isolation days of 2020 noted musician Don Potter (www.potterschoolhaus.com) began to do a lengthy deep dive into the book of Revelation. In the process, he felt that the Lord revealed to him that the beast rising out of the sea spoken of in Revelation 13:1 was commercialism. (It’s interesting to note that ‘sea’ can be understood to metaphorically mean ‘humanity,’ which makes great sense contextually as it is humans supporting it.) As an adjunct, you need to hear his interview on a podcast at Eaglemountain.tv of June 22 with Don and Jenny Donnelly, Bobby Haaby, and moderator Chris Benenke entitled “Why We Need to Hear From The Lord.” It will turn your current understanding of the end times and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse on its head. It certainly did mine
As Don has described it in his earlier presentation, the spirit of the beast is, “I have to sell you something,” (commercialism/consumerism) which to me not only aptly describes the seeker friendly church we see today, but the frustration of the failure of the ability of the government to sell everyone the party-line which has now morphed into heavy handed authoritarianism. When I was a sales manager for a mid-western equipment manufacturer it was patently obvious that nothing happened on the manufacturing floor unless somebody sold something. That same influence is responsible for the daily nuisance of your robo-calls and our misunderstanding and our misapplication of scripture.
It has become so easy to identify this phenomenon on a national and international level, but the selling job has been so effective culturally, over a sustained period of time, that we fail to recognize it operating in our own personal belief systems. We’ve grown up with it, consequently it’s naturally expected to be a part of everything we engage. So we don’t even give a second thought if even a first one. The unfortunate 2020 covid shutdown of most churches across the country threw ingrained weekly schedules in the toilet and left most attendees with something to earnestly consider. The question was, Why do I go to church? For many the possibilities were; Tradition, Habit, Is it because of our children? Has it become a social connection point? Or was it a weekly expression of our religious duty? Approximately 35% of congregants in the US asked a more fundamental question based in personal consumerism, which actually had absolutely nothing to do with worshipping the Lord. The underlying motivation behind asking the question is really this: What’s in it for me? (A consumer mindset.)
When we moved to Myrtle Beach, SC after selling our home in Nashville, TN the Lord cornered me and asked me to examine and re-evaluate all of my motivations. He wanted me to know why I did everything I did. Most of us don’t have that level of clarity. I certainly didn’t in a number of areas. The church we were attending in Franklin (a suburb of Nashville) had shut down immediately in the wake of the pastor having taught on faith for the previous six to eight weeks. There was a great deal that went into the staff’s decision to shut down that is not appropriate to discuss here, but suffice it to say that the shut-down was a great personal disappointment to me that robbed us of a highly valued element of our Christian lives which I consider a non-negotiable: passionate corporate worship.
Many find themselves engaged in some form of “personal service” or ministry in connection with their local church which actually has less to do with serving their fellow man than feeling better about themselves because they were doing something nice for someone less fortunate. (Proverbs 14:23a) However valuable that it may be to the recipients it amounts to personal consumerism, our presumed self-sacrifice has unknowingly become largely self-serving. We need to know why we do everything, especially in the context of ministry. (Matthew 6:1-22)
Generosity is inextricably linked to servanthood, for that is how it is generally demonstrated to us. Consumerism is the opposite of generosity for it chooses to count the cost of serving. When put on that scale generosity fails to be chosen less than half the time.
Hebrews 2:14b-15 “that through death he (Jesus) might bring to naught him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
The fear of death in the context of consumerism equates to the fear of loss, such as; the loss of employment or a career, a reduction in personal income or style of living, the loss of reputation or social status, being forced to give up free time or having to forego an opportunity (options), or the possibility of entering a position where one could be criticized or belittled, etc. Yes, consumerism is often tied to money, What’s it gonna cost me? But there are numerous other instances where the fear of death has become the “fear of missing out” and consequently serving that which requires something of us is seldom chosen.
King David prayed a perfect prayer regarding the hidden personal consumerism motivations of the heart that we all need to pray from time to time. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Jesus lived a perfect life of service, out of a pure motivation, that’s what love does. His Apostles documented their own motivations which they kept before themselves continually lest they should fail to fulfill their calling which Christ gave them. (2Peter 1:5-10) In so doing, each of them demonstrated a level of personal generosity that their individual lives have become legendary among those who love Jesus (as they did.)
John15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” In like manner, His Father famously gave …
John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.”
Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his master, nor a servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. (Matthew 10:24-25 RSV)
Considering the topic of personal consumerism should bring up a couple of questions. First is “What attachments do I have that cause me to count the cost of being generous at all? And what causes me to consider any sacrifice as too much? The next one is, “What do I value and is that appropriate for a true believer?” If you’ve even been prompted to give something away of significant value then you are acquainted with the struggle, but what we are being asked to do in this season is to dispense with all the things that we are attached to so that we can go and do whatever Jesus calls us to. His real goal is to have your entire heart, sans all the other things that we’ve allowed to pull on it.
Here’s an interesting thought. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language defines “generous” (as a noun) in this way; 1. Primarily, being of honorable birth or origin; hence, noble; honorable; magnanimous; applied to persons. 2. Noble; honorable; applied to things; as a generous virtue; generous boldness. It is used also to denote like qualities in irrational animals; as a generous pack of hounds. 3. Liberal; bountiful; munificent; free to give; as a generous friend; a generous father. 4. Strong; full of spirit; as generous wine. 5. Full; overflowing; abundant; as a generous cup; a generous table.
And “generosity” (as an adjective) in this manner; [Latin generositas, from genus, race, kind, with reference to birth, blood, family.] 1. The quality of being generous; liberality in principle; a disposition to give liberally or to bestow favors; a quality of the heart or mind opposed to meanness or parsimony. 2. Liberality in act; bounty. 3. Nobleness of soul; magnanimity.
The idea that generosity is tied to “honorable or noble birth” ought to give each of us “born again believers” pause for thought. Is my new born-again man (1Peter 1:3-5) living generously in accord with my “honorable or noble birth?” since my Father has provided, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17 ESV
Recent Comments