Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Consumer Spirituality

I like finding a deal.  When I buy something, I want to get it on sale, with a coupon or with a discount.  Somehow it feels rewarding to get exactly what I want and pay less than other people.

Maybe I'm a typical American consumer.

Some apply the consumer mentality to spiritual decisions.  We shop for a church to find exactly what we want--the right programs, the right location, the right schedule.  It might be good to consult God in the process, even seek his leadership.

But getting the right product is only part of the shopping process.  You also want to get a good deal.  You don't want to pay any more for the product than you have to.

We want low cost.  Maybe we want low cost discipleship.  We want spiritual growth, but don't want it to cost too much.  Imagine growing in Christ without spending much time, giving much effort, expending much energy.  As consumers, we want discipleship with minimal cost or inconvenience.

The only problem is that Jesus said it doesn't work that way.  Following Christ costs everything.  Maybe he's not looking for smart consumers.