Generosity: the Antidote to Consumerism

Anti-consumerism. It's the new(ish) theme of Christmas. Black Friday kicks off the fabulous sales AND the annual ranting against materialism and greed. I've said it; you've probably said it: We've all got so much STUFF. That's all Christmas is about anymore: more STUFF. All these trappings... Can't we just go back to being simple? I mean, how many more Legos do the kids possibly need? And all I'm going to get at the gift exchange is another something I don't want--another re-gift for next year. Plus, this pressure to think of something for all 20 people on my list is going to cause me a panic attack!

It's true: there's a lot of time and money spent in December on buying STUFF. And there are plenty of things bought that are of little use. There's a lot of waste out there. And a lot of greed.

But sometimes we use anti-consumerism as an excuse to be stingy. We fight selfishness by being selfish. No one needs extravagant gifts this year because Christmas isn't about gifts... Or really because I don't want to invest the time and money in giving generously. Or because I'm too disillusioned with stuff to be really thankful for God's unfathomable generosity toward me, and therefore have no good reason to let that overflow to others.


Hear me out here. We SHOULD fight the temptation to acquire piles of things for our own personal use as we see all the fantastic sales out there. Let's NOT encourage our kids to make wish lists a mile long and spend December (and November and October and September) meditating on all the amazing new toys they just have to have. Let us please refrain from trampling each other in the stores, wiling away days upon days of precious time in crowded malls (or online shopping) and gaining piles of debt for the new year. But in our quest to fight against consumer greed and materialism, let us not become miserly. Let us not grow disillusioned with presents and feasting and celebrating. Let us not forget that we are children of a God who gives and gives and gives again. Let us pry open our closed fists and pour out our resources to the benefit and joy of others.

I love this little excerpt from N.D. Wilson's book Death By Living:

My wife and I tend to overgift to our kids at Christmas. We laugh and feel foolish when a kid is so distracted with one toy that we must force them to open the next, or when something grand goes unnoticed in a corner. How consumerist, right? How crassly American.
How like God.

This year, let's not fight consumerism by giving nothing, by staying home from the parties, by boycotting the mall. Let's fight the consumerism in our own hearts by being generous. Let's fight the consumerism of our culture by showing the world what God is like.

Give to the poor and less fortunate. Find a family in need and lavish them with gifts. Or better yet, get them into your home and lavish them with gifts, a feast, and the grace of hospitality and friendship. Show them a God who became poor so that we could become rich. Throw a party for your neighbours. Don't be cheap; grace your guests with the best food and drink you can afford. Show them a God who lovingly gives over-abundantly, and makes strangers his friends. Make your children's eyes big with the gifts under the tree. Even if your budget is tight, give them what you can in enjoyment, imagination, curiosity and fun. Try to give them things with a long shelf life. Show them a God who delights to give his children GOOD gifts. What if they don't need more stuff? Then remember that God doesn't just bless us with material goods, but also with a world to explore, other universes to imagine, and the special gift of his presence. Do the same for your kids. And open your own eyes wide to see the multitude of gifts you yourself have been given this year and thank God for his generosity to us, an undeserving people.

Because the fact of the matter is, Christmas IS about gifts. Christmas is the celebration of the greatest gift money could never come close to buying. It's all about the God who gave everything so we could experience true joy and wonder and lavish generosity. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, very God of very God, who came to earth as a lowly baby, taking the form of a servant, giving up all heavenly riches and becoming poor and giving his all for us, so that we might know the true riches of God's mercy and grace and abundance. Will we celebrate this great truth with stinginess and constant harping about how we've all got too much stuff, or will we celebrate it by praising God for his generosity toward us, giving up our own resources, taking a personal hit so that others might experience the lavish goodness of God through us?

From the Fullerton family to yours: May you all enjoy a very merry Christmas as we celebrate the greatest gift ever given!