Too Much Stuff

Whenever I am tempted to buy something, I ask myself, “Will it bring me closer to God?” The average person is exposed to three thousand advertisements a day through radio, TV, newspapers, bus signs, billboards, Internet, magazines, and store windows. What will we buy?

Our culture shouts and screams just one thing: consume. How do we resist the world’s cornucopia of goods, services, and merchandise when we are told by every input, both conscious and subconscious, that there is some thing that will make our lives just a little bit better, fuller, or more convenient? How do we resist the temptation of a laptop that is 5/8 of an inch thinner than the one we currently own and were thrilled to own twelve months ago? Haven’t we denied ourselves a giant-screen TV . . . or a flat-screen LCD . . . or a plasma-screen TV long enough? What’s the harm of one more pair of shoes to go with the new dress bought last week? And what about a purse? After all, the right pocketbook is needed to match the shoes bought to match the new dress.

Where is God in all of this consumer rumination? If you haven’t found God at home, will he be more likely to inhabit a vacation home? Remember when the disciples and the crowd gathered on the hillside to hear Jesus speak? Remember how before Jesus began to teach, Peter got up and read the good news announcements? Those who had kids that needed to be carpooled to a soccer game were excused. And remember how they announced the tool sale at the superstore? Recall how they said that only a fool wouldn’t tear out Formica counter- tops and replace them with granite ones? Remember how they suggested buying pearls and jewelry at a “great price” even if you needed to charge them? Afterward, Jesus preached “saving” and investing in the famous Sermon on the Amount.

You don’t recall this? There is a reason why you don’t. The Christian is not at liberty to do whatever he likes. Christians are constrained by conviction to think about their lives, their actions, and their responsibilities. One of the litmus tests for a decision is: Does this action, saying, movie, etc., bring me closer to God? The more this question is entertained, pondered, and posed, the closer to God the Christian will find himself.

While it is true that we cannot all live as St. Anthony did, it is equally true that we can all start to live more like Jesus. Always keep in mind that when a Christian does any activity, he is to shine as a light to the world. Have fun and enjoy; don’t get legalistic. The path toward responsible stewardship is analogous to having a bunch of friends who are smokers who know that you used to smoke. If you are humble about having quit, you’ll find your smoking friends asking for your advice. If you appear smug or holier than thou, you will be a positive witness to a party of none.

We exist in a living, created world in which the Bible tells us that God knows every scale on a fish, every hair on our head, and the flight of every sparrow. We are to aspire to all things godly; therefore, it would be wrong to go through life in an unthinking or uncaring way. Similarly, we are not to ruminate or worry excessively. Try to keep a balance and harmony, seeking in all things to grow closer to the joyous bounty that God has provided in his natural world.

Adapted from Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action (Zondervan, 2007).

ABOUT MATTHEW SLEETH, MD

A former emergency room physician, Dr. Matthew Sleeth felt like he was straightening deck chairs on the Titanic saving one patient at a time while the whole ship (Earth) was going down. Together with his wife and two teenaged children, he began to bring his lifestyle in line with his values, cutting back on their fossil fuel by two thirds and electricity use by nine tenths.

Following a new calling, Dr. Sleeth resigned from his position as chief of the medical staff and director of the ER to teach, preach, and write about faith and the environment throughout the country. Dr. Sleeth is a graduate of The George Washington University School of Medicine and has two post doctoral fellowships. He is the author of Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action (Zondervan, 2007), the introduction to the Green Bible (2008, HarperOne), and will release a second book, The Gospel According to the Earth: Why the Good Book is a Green Book (HarperOne), for Earth Day 2010. He is currently the executive director of Blessed Earth.