I've noticed with some concern how parents feel enormous pressure to spend money they don't have on their children at Christmas.
Brant Hansen provides a gentle word of advice for those parents.
It's time that the Church made a stand against this materialistic, consumeristic tradition. Let's quit spending so much money on our children (and ourselves.) Let's quit buying expensive toys for the kids in our Adopt a Family programs. Let's refuse to buy anyone a gift card.
I'm not against gifts.
Gifts are great. But the boxes we wrap at Christmas aren't real gifts.
Among other things,
- Real gifts are especially suited for the recipient.
- Real gifts are not made in expectation of a return gift.
- Real gifts are unexpected, surprising in some way.
Give your family, your friends and yourself permission to get off the Christmas gift escalator.
Good grief, how did we get to the place where a Lexus is a reasonable Christmas gift?
Whether you are "that guy" or not, you don't need to buy your wife a diamond.
American retailers are not going to come by your house in February and help you make your credit card payment.
Pastor Rod
"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"
2 comments:
There is a cool SNL skit you can watch called Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford. I used it in my class just for the humor, but it makes a point about our culture. You can link to it off my blog on buying stuff.
Rod W,
That's a funny video. Thanks for the link.
Rod
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