If Jesus were on earth today, what would He say about the consumerism so rampant in today’s church? Let us allow our Leader to speak for Himself on this matter: “Whoever will save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose it for my sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25). This is an inexorable law of the Kingdom that is true in every aspect of human life. When a person seeks anything but the glory of God in his life, that person can be assured that he will not find what he is seeking. Safety, security, and comfort cannot be found by seeking them. A simple look at our society shows this to be true: though every attempt is made to pursue these things by the average suburbanite, fear, worry, anxiety, and a stressed out life style are at epidemic proportions today.
On the flip side, however, Christ promises His followers in the above verse that when they seek first God’s glory they will find the fulfillment of their own needs that they neglected in the process. As Jesus said, “seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:33). What are these things that will be added to us? They are the spiritual and physical needs that each one of us has that take a back seat to pursuing the advancement of God’s kingdom in our lives. When we pursue the coming of God’s kingdom first and foremost, rather than our own needs, Jesus promises that our Father will meet our needs in the end. When we pursue the edifying and service of others instead of concentrating on our own spiritual growth, it is then that our own spiritual growth becomes a reality. However, the person who pursues His own needs first will find neither the deeper life with God nor the fulfillment of those desires that he so desperately sought after.
With this timeless truth in mind, it is beyond argument that the attitude of the Christian should be not, “what can I get out of church?”, but rather, “what can I give to the body?” This precludes attitudes such as “church shopping” and the “feeding trough” mentality so prevalent in churches today. As Bob Hyatt says: “The church is not here for you. You are here for the church, your community, and your community; the church is here for the world. Jesus did not die to make you into a sanctified consumer. He died to bring you alive to God and to a desperately needy world.” It is clear that consumerism in the church flies in the face of the values Christ has espoused to his followers.
But do we really practice what we preach in this area? In our next post, we’ll explore the implications of Jesus’ teaching on this matter in our own lives today.
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