Economists tell us our country operates under a market-driven economy. This is in contrast to those societies that are communistic or socialistic where the state sets the tone of the economy rather than the consumer. With our free enterprise system, the consumer often does dictate the ebb and flow of goods and services, and thus, the vitality of the economy itself. Certainly, foreign trade, government policies and other factors help determine the marketplace, but the goods and services we buy and sell play an important part in determining how our standard of living fares.
This consumer-oriented philosophy permeates much of life, including religion. One author made the observation of how the marketplace has affected us spiritually. “The market-driven philosophy currently in vogue says plainly that Biblical truth is outmoded. Biblical exposition and theology is seen as antiquated and irrelevant. ‘Churchgoers don’t want to be preached to anymore,’ this philosophy says. The baby boom generation won’t just sit in the pew while someone up front preaches. They are products of a media-driven generation, and they need a church experience that will satisfy them on their own terms.”
This is really nothing new, as there have always been those who viewed the church as a “what do I get out of it, what’s in it for me” experience. The truth is, there is much we get and much we receive, but only when we put God first and submit to His will. The greatest blessings belong to those who become servants of the Lord and of one another. When Jesus set the example by washing His disciples’ feet, He said, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:17). On another occasion Jesus taught, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44). Our attitude should not be “What does the church have to offer me,” but “How can I give of myself to the Lord and His church?”
No one knows better how we are created and how best our needs are met than God who created us. He has offered us the best life possible in Jesus Christ, for today and eternity. Blessings, peace and joy in Christ are some of the riches He provides for those who humble themselves before Him and serve Him in a spirit of meekness. Salvation has been bought, but not with dollars; the precious blood of Jesus freely offers us life. May we be servants rather than consumers and in submission to Him by which we receive the abundant life.
