The Route of All Evil?

Red protruding sale tickets crackled against my shopping basket as I walked through one, of now four, clearance aisle at Walmart yesterday. It was a stark reminder of holiday shopping soon to come, and the mass eagerness of consumerism clouding the atmosphere. Ok, so I realize it’s not even Labor Day. Still the shelves need to be cleared to make room for toys and trinkets that put everyone in the mood for peace toward men and goodwill to all (right?).

But you know, these little red tickers got me thinking. What is the big deal about holiday shopping anyways? The obvious, of course, is that it appeals to our personal gratification, if but temporary. Perhaps the appeal is to the “inner child” that is so idolized for rediscovering or maintaining through the monotonous grind of bills and jobs and aging bodies. I’m not going to shout, “Bah, humbug!” through this. But I do want to dabble a little further….

Probably one the most oft quoted Scripture in both the secular and church world is, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Not the money itself, but the love of it. What does that really mean? To make it simple—what is it that we believe money can do for us, and how would we feel to not be able to attain those things? If we want to impress with a home worthy of HGTV’s applause, we will crave the money to buy every new trend. Or if we want people to turn their heads when we walk or drive by, we will not find contentment with wearing or driving anything less. This materialism only tightens the grip of restlessness within. We forget that men through history have always been tempted to trade wealth for character, status for integrity, and compromise for contentment. Material pursuits are a drug in it’s own right, with it’s own form of adrenaline highs and lows. Just ask any woman who skips and hums out of the store, hardly noticing the weight of her laden basket—just to crash once she sees that crisp envelope that reads, “Statement Enclosed.”  Or the hoarder who just has to HAVE.

In both genders, I believe the “Route of All Evil” is self-service. Simply: selfishness. Money is just paper or natural minerals fashioned to our use. But what money means is the opportunity to indulge our “self”. Ah, the inner child emerges once again. Everyone knows an infant is a thoroughbred when it comes to selfish nature. Unless this wee one is trained to think outside of that selfish nature, it will only grow and manifest in age-appropriate manners. The 2-year old that is never discouraged from manipulating with temper tantrums turns into the 10-year old that whimpers every time you say “no” to something he wants, to a 25-year old that drives recklessly because it’s fun. We see selfish parents that continue a life of substance abuse, selfish perverts who think only of their own gratification, selfish spouses, selfish government, selfish rebellious teenagers, etc. etc. etc. This “Route” leads to our own front door, and will every time. Selfish people may give here and there, but it is still only for the purpose of the high of warm fuzzies, or do flaunt their goodness for status sake. But the motive is still for self, and the mindset of “What will I get out of this?”

The only way to get off this wide one-laned freeway is to learn to love. We love through good stewardship of our finances so we are able to bless others—we love through giving when we must sacrifice our own desire (which is hardly ever more lethal than the death of an item on our shopping list)—we love through being dependable when others need us. We love from being loved, and love deeper when we learn where Love really comes from. Our source of delight is not in resurrecting the inner child with all it’s immaturity and shallow pleasures—along with a propensity to tantrums. But in coming AS a child, into the embrace of One who knows our needs. This child of faith has a gentle playfulness in their spirit because their value is not in how others measure their success, but in knowing that they ARE and they HAVE what is really most important in life. This love is Jesus. And His love is for us, and overflows from us. That selfish nature can lay dormant under our own efforts, but it can only be subdued by Love Himself.