We live in a consumer world, where things are sold to us with fancy labels, nice packaging and tempting offers. As consumers we are constantly tempted to buy what we are supposed to want. We are tempted to buy on impulse what we don’t need and hadn’t planned to buy.
Western consumerism relies on us adding things to our lives that we do not need, will not fully use and will discard for something else soon enough.
Many people promoting Christian faith can try to package Jesus as a Consumer Product. They try to sell the advantages and awaken the perceived need for more of Jesus in their life. Some dress up the packaging, such as by catchy messages, impressive Church buildings, entertaining services and so on.
In those contexts the aim is not to present Christ and God’s truth so the Holy Spirit can win the hearts of the lost, but to recruit the lost by offering them things that sound impressive and lure them or prompt them on impulse.
However, Jesus is not a Consumer Item. We don’t “try Jesus” and see if we like the fit. We don’t add a little Jesus to our life. We don’t put Jesus on our team for those occasions when He comes in handy. We don’t pursue Jesus because He is trending at the moment, or because it looks good on our resume. We don’t have Christ in our life because it’s what everyone else is doing or He makes us feel good about ourselves.
Jesus is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”. That puts Him as the head, not the accessory.
“He has a name written on his robe and on his thigh, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:16
“Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Revelation 1:5
It is more than absurd that the most powerful person in the world should be treated like a fashion accessory, or some item we can choose if we feel like it.
The deceit of consumerism is that the buyer can choose what they want. We can be trendy or retro, conservative or extravagant, preferring this option or that. We are kings of our own world. Others will try to influence our decisions, but, as consumers, we suit ourselves.
However, as created beings answerable to the God of all eternity, the notion of our being in control is way overstated.
The most fundamental and eternity impacting issue is whether we live for God and receive Christ as our Saviour and Lord, or not. It’s not a matter of whether we like it, or the colour scheme suits us, or we can make Jesus fit nicely into our current decor.
Yet the consumer mindset suggests we are in control, not Jesus. We feel like we are making our own life, crafting it the way we think things will suit us. In reality we have been created by God, for His purposes, and any choice that takes us away from what God has for us is destructive and toxic in our lives.
Wonderfully the Holy Spirit will speak to people’s hearts whenever Christ is preached, so people can come to faith in Christ through all manner of situations. So I’m not down on those who seek to bring people to faith.
I want you to reflect on the attitude you developed in your heart toward your walk with God and your relationship with Christ. Do you regard Christ as ‘Lord’ of your life? Do you realise how vitally important it is that you have faith in Christ? Do you understand that Christ is your life?
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:4
“I am crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 3:20
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Consumers remain in control of their preferences and will redecorate, upgrade, abandon their past choices for something different and chase what they think is good for them.
Christians give control of their lives to Christ, and remain faithful to what is true, no matter how out of fashion it might seem. They stick with their choice, faith and commitment to Christ, even under duress. They turn off their interest in this world and its empty promises of happiness, knowing they have true joy and peace and the love of God through their walk with Christ.
Christians endure to the end, and don’t put Christ on the discard pile of unwanted things stacked in front of their house.
They love Christ for Who He is and give their lives to Him, as Saviour and Lord. They live for Him, and serve Him with all their being, as the most important person in their life.
They come to know Him, in His fulness, for Who He is, and they are not distracted with The Consumer Jesus.
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