Over the next few days Americans will spend upwards of $60 billion dollars in retail sales on stuff that they think will make them happy. That works out to about $423 per person over the next few days. The big question is how much of that $60 billion will not add to the debt that each American carries?
You would think that by now people would know you cannot buy happiness, as happiness does not come from things for from WalMart but from inside and living a life that is balanced both spiritually and mentally. The acquisition of stuff does nothing but enslave us more and more to those we owe money too, and that in turn makes us unhappy.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am all for showing our live for family and friends by giving gifts, after all the Magi brought gifts to Jesus, but they did not sell their souls to the retail establishment to do it. They gave from what they had, they did not borrow today on the promise of paying it off tomorrow ad they would have received a blessing now matter they gave gifts or not.
We are conditioned, dare I even say brainwashed, that the level of love we have for people in the size of the gift we purchase. What is wrong with making a gift or even give a gift to a charity in the name of the person, show love for someone by helping other, very Biblical I would say.
Rather than engage in the craziness of Black Friday and Cyber Saturday, why not take a step back and consider what it we are doing and the harm that we cause our souls when we focus only on the things we can buy. Stop and think about the gift that God gave us, that tiny baby, born in the humblest of conditions with nothing. That is the gift and that is the reason for the season.
