I have been thinking about this theory for quite some time. It's a strange thought, but it is has been on my mind. Shopping? I listen to people at my place of work and everything they say sometimes just sounds so meaningless. Most of my work experience has been in the nursery/landscape business. I found this to be my calling because I found a Holy reasoning behind it. As I listened to customers this past weekend I could not help and think about how pointless our needs are sometimes. One customer was asking about a certain plant we had and she said, "I will be back tomorrow to get that tree, because so and so really wants one really bad!" Why doe s she really want that tree so bad? Is it because her life might become truly satisfied if she had it? I don't think so.
I really like plants and how beautiful they really are. I see a plant as an object created from the mind and hand of God. That is my Holy reasoning behind my interest in plants. But I don't really need any certain plant to satisfy my needs. I really don't need any material possesion to satisfy my life, but sometimes my want overcomes my real needs. The massive overflow of people in our store has really got me thinking lately. I like to shop sometimes, I don't like to shop for my needs but I like to shop for my desires. I'm not one to go and spend a lot of money on massive things like a new stereo system or a huge plasma so I can impress somebody. That's not who I am, and I have no reason to impress anybody. Yet, many people do buy things for that exact reason. They want to be seen by others with their mass inventory of stuff.
Shopping is not always not a bad thing, we do need to go to the grocery store and get food and sometimes we need to go and buy some new clothes because our other ones are complete rags. I understand the reasoning for people coming to a place like I work at. To buy things for their house or to fix something that is broke or to buy a plant to enjoy a beautiful creation of God. But, sometimes the other reasons are because of want and not necessity. I often think and get mad because I have to be at work on a Sunday morning and miss church because people have to come in for their unecessary wants instead of their real needs. I could be spending valuable time with my family and my brothers and sisters in Christ in a Holy worship service praising God. Instead, I have to be there because of the companies need for greed and money and also because somebody decided that their needs were more important than worshiping God. It irritates me a lot!
Our country has gone in the wrong direction in it's desires. The world's true desire should be going to those who are in need, not just needs in material things but a need for a Savior. I often think when I am at work and see people shopping that I could be doing something for Christ and for those who are lost, but instead our world puts its faith in money and wealth instead of true wealth in Christ. Our desires are in the wrong place, our needs instead of Christ's. So instead of doing God's work and furthering His word, I have to wait on customers and load their needless desires into their car. Let's shop for lost souls instead of our worthless desires that will never satisfy our lives. Store up true wealth in heaven instead of worldly things that will be taken away from us in a split second.
2 comments:
Your post is an interesting one. It reminded me of a discussion I had recently with a devout Catholic in our office. Why is it that the Church is always telling us not to value possessions, as if there was something evil in owning things or having wealth? The Catholic Church is the wealthiest entity in the world. They possess far more riches and land than Wal-Mart and Microsoft combined! Why cant churches preach to us in a simple building instead of always wanting the best stained glass or whatever? Couldn't all the money spent on ornate churches and stained glass, and all the other items churches spend their money on be put to better use helping others? Think of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, worth tens of millions of dollars. Think of how many starving kids in Africa we could help by selling that property and preaching from a simple church building. Why must the church tell me I'm selfish for buying a tv, when the church pays absurd amounts for stained glass instead of spending that money to feed and clothe and help their congregation?
I agree. i started wirting a post about that a month ago and it was exactly what you were commenting on, but I started but got lost in trying to finish it. Maybe I will.
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