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Controlling Consumerism

In the concluding part of our series on escaping consumer culture, we look at finding freedom in an abundant life in Jesus

Four years ago some friends entered me into the Paris marathon. I had run regularly for a number of years without ever attempting the distance, and I was delighted at the chance to give it a go. I had six months to prepare, which should have been fine – but I injured my back and was unable to train for the first four months. By the time I lined up with 16,000 others at the start of the race, just six weeks’ running was all I had in the tank to get me round.

The first hour of the race I felt ok, but then the lack of preparation began to tell. By ten miles I was working hard, and by the half way point I knew that this was going to hurt more than any run I had ever done. I was still determined, though, to not stop running. By 20 miles, I was vaguely aware that while technically still running, I could normally walk faster! By 23 miles, I no longer felt in control of my legs when, first a man with one leg walked past me, then a woman about my mother’s age jogged past talking and finally, an old Parisian gentleman emerged out of the crowd holding a large glass in his hand and said gently, ‘Beaujolais, monsieur?’

My running stopped there, but it was not for lack of determination or effort. What scuppered me that day was not a lack of trying, but a lack of training.

Most Christians are like that too. We do not fail to experience the life God planned for us because we do not try, but because we do not train.

Living Free

In last month’s article, we considered what effect the prevailing culture of consumerism, and ourselves as consumers, is having on our Christian lives. If we are to live free, if we are to live the life God intended for us and not be seduced by consumerism’s snare, we have to learn to train, practising the rhythms, disciplines and habits that will sustain our life in Christ in what is effectively the enemyoccupied territory of consumer culture. Consumerism never tries to confront what we believe outright, it just tries to skew how we live. If we are to succeed, we have to focus not so much what we believe, but seriously think about how we live.

There is an ancient myth, many thousands of years old, about a sea captain who had to take his ship past an infamous piece of coastline. Many ships had been wrecked on the rocks because wicked people would come to the cliffs on foggy days and dark nights and sing so beautifully that sailors would steer a different course just to listen. The danger was well known, but apparently the singing was so enchanting that even forewarned, many ships met their fate on that stretch of coastline. Some captains had even tried to tie their crew to the mast to stop them changing direction. This captain had a different strategy. For this trip there was a new member of the crew. The sailors moaned because he was a terrible sailor, but as soon as the singing started to be heard across the water, the new crewman brought out a violin and played with such brilliance, passion and feeling that it captivated the men until they were well out of harm’s way.

The point I am trying to make is that we will succumb to the seduction of consumerism unless its attraction is eclipsed and drowned out. Jesus wants us to flourish in his abundant life, not be tied legalistically to an austere one. He wants us to live in loving relationship with him, and know the truth that he is more exciting, more fulfilling, more enriching and edifying than all the treasures of this earth put together.

Rhythms and Habits

Scott Martin was just 20 when he died. For many years he had refused to eat anything other than chips, beans and toast. Scott died because of his habits of consumption. If our habits of consumption are not to kill us spiritually, we need to take action.

The rhythms and habits for daily life in consumer culture start with understanding that Jesus’ love is better than life. What does it take for us to live loved by Jesus on a daily basis? How do we pray and read the Bible, meet with other Christians, practice silence, write a journal and so on so that we can live in a daily meaningful relationship with a God who is always more captivating and enthralling than anything else the world has to offer? Real authentic lasting joy from Jesus is the ultimate answer in a world of marketed products promising a counterfeit, temporary and disillusioning happiness.

Once these basic rhythms are in place in our lives there is a strong foundation for building other disciplines and habits which equip us for living in consumer culture.

Last month, I said that in today’s consumer society, what really characterises us is not an attachment to things, but a detachment from things. Part of the challenge is that we need to practice disciplines that attach us to things, and disciplines that detach us from things at the same time! Confused? Let me try to explain.

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