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Monday, January 17, 2005
When I was in high school, I had two jobs that seemed to pay well (despite the reality that minimum wage was $3.35 per hour). I'm not sure if that good pay was actually because of the salary or because my first job required a 6AM start time and I was too tired to spend what I made and offered overtime after 40 hours per week (which we easily hit in the summer). The second job was at a movie theatre that had a video game arcade, so I was able to make lots of money (they opened early and closed late on the weekends) and I got free movies/popcorn/games for me and my girlfriend, so I pocketed my money and spent time there.
But it was expendable income. Marketers still use the term to try to grab teen dollars.
You know. Teenagers don't have to spend their money (generally speaking, of course) on rent and utilities and such. They have a bit more freedom to spend on X-box games or CD's or car stereos or "date-type" expenses or fast food or trendy clothes or whatever else a teenager would spend their money on. Sure, they save here and there for trips they want to go on or even put some away for college or proms or whatever, too. But there is a teen market.
But the stakes get raised as you get older. There's an adult market, too.
Buy a nicer house and get into the better school district. Buy a nicer car now that you got that promotion. Make sure to get the latest and greatest of television upgrades/cell phone/computer gadget now that there's a little breathing room in the budget. Make sure your kids have the lessons/clothes/gadgets. It's the same principle, and the adult market is just a more expensive version of the teen market.
It isn't that those things aren't nice to have. I'm a firm believer in the Biblical principle of enjoying the fruits of your labor because God does the providing. That's not at all what I'm saying.
I'm saying that the "marketing" in each case creates a desire for the "Bigger and Better Stuff." And the desire for bigger and better stuff, or financial security (whatever that is, like that even exists), takes our focus off God and puts it in temporary, worldly things.
We start to make decisions on jobs based on the reality it'll provide more money even though it requires more overnight travel. We choose a college because it'll give us the best shot at getting a good job instead of helping us learn. We try to make good grades in 9th grade because if we don't finish in the top 20% of our class we won't get into a good college and we won't be able to get good jobs that require overnight travel so we can have enough money to get bigger and better stuff.
And we lose sight of God in the process. We have a comfortable life without God...which I'd suggest brings a mental discomfort that might not be worth the money. In fact, author Douglas Coupland (who I'm not sure of his religious convictions or lack thereof) had a quote in his book "Poloroids from the Dead" that has stuck with me:
"A collapsed view of heaven is the price you pay for your comfort."
He was speaking of money, and I think it echoes Matthew 6: 19--24:
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where theives break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where theives do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye is clear your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness, how great is the darkness!" No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
It's interesting that the eye is the lamp of the body. The marketers know what they're doing when it comes to appealing to you buy getting you to take a good long look. When you see something, it can really cause you to want something...and it won't be soon before you're devising a plan to obtain it. It could be something as simple as trying to buy a car stereo. It could be something as complicated as choosing a business school to get to Donald Trump status.
But Donald Trump's stuff will eventually get bulldozed by the next guy. Or whither because of old age. Or maybe stolen. Even if he dies a rich man it simply goes to whoever he leaves it to. It's all stuff. No matter how shiny and all, it's still just stuff. Or places to keep his stuff. But it all involves "just stuff."
And it should scare the pants off us that we're supposed to make eternal investments. It should scare us spitless that Jesus said these eternal investments are an indication of what's really in our hearts.
Think about that for a second.
The things we spend our money on are a way to measure the state of our heart towards God.
Wow.
So, I'd challenge you for a week to keep up with every penny you spend. Just save the receipts starting today. Then take some time at the end of the week...say Sunday...and ask yourself the question: What does where I put my treasure say about myself?"
Sometimes you'll be pleased with the answer to that question. Sometimes it'll startle you. But Christ, in His manifesto, pointed out that you have to make the choice to pursue money or God, but you can't serve both. You're going to be a slave to something no matter what...
..and the perspective you have will influence an awful lot of your life choices.
And life contentment.
Which may be much more valuable than a big pot of gold. Think about it.
Where does where I put my treasure say about my spiritual life?
Brent 6:20 AM
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