Recently in my economic anthropology class we discussed consumerism. Our professor, Katrina Greene, has been teaching us that “consumerism is spending practices that result in the purchase and consumption of goods or materials in excess of basic needs.” Everyone is a consumer. Consuming is simply putting a product or service to use in order to meet needs and fulfill desires. You consume every time you run to the store to buy groceries, fill your car with gas or go to the movies with your friends.

Consuming is not bad. In fact, it is a necessary element of life. However, when your decisions about consuming move from meeting basic needs to searching for identity, meaning, purpose and belonging you have yourself a big problem. This is what we call consumerism and it is no friend for a disciple of Jesus.

Alan Hirsch is an influential leader and author in the missional church movement —  an effort to shift churches from focusing on programs to focusing on people and from drawing in unbelievers to sending out believers. Hirsch speaks about consumerism as one of the prevailing religious powers of our day. He claims that in our consumeristic culture, marketers and advertisers disciple every single one of us, attempting to persuade us that their products will provide us all that our hearts deeply desire — identity, meaning, purpose, worth, belonging. This is a lie. The reason our hearts desire these things is because God made us that way, and he is the only one who can satisfy our desires.

Consumerism vs. discipleship

It is impossible to be discipled by Jesus and simultaneously buy into the lie of consumerism. A consumerist lifestyle and following Jesus cannot coexist because they are ideologically opposed to one another. Consumerism says you deserve to have it your way. The gospel says to die to yourself. Consumerism says it’s all about you. The gospel says it’s all about Jesus. The gospel requires you to stop pursuing your own selfish desires and affections and to use all of your time, energy, money and possessions to make much of Jesus.

Consumerism vs. Christian community

Consumerism is an enemy of Christian community. Christian community is best formed around people who put others above themselves. The members of the early church in Acts 2 actually sold their possessions in order to provide for the needs of their brothers and sisters. This kind of generosity was simply a natural outworking of an inward reality. They knew their identity as children of a God who provides, so they sought the good of others above their own gain.

Christian community also forms around people who know they have been called to bear fruit. They have died to themselves and come alive to Jesus. Therefore, they view the church not only as a way in which they can be fed, grown and cared for, but also in terms of how they can feed, grow and care for their brothers and sisters. They come to community not only as receivers, but as givers also.

Escaping consumerism

The message of consumerism is everywhere. It’s part of popular culture. The pervasive nature of consumerism is precisely why it is so dangerous. When a message is blared around you all the time, it is easy to adopt it into your worldview without ever noticing. It slips in with the shadows. Therefore, we have to keep examining ourselves. Here are a few questions that might be helpful in this: Am I searching for my identity and significance when I buy new things? Do I participate in my community only to receive, or do I participate to give as well? Am I living to make much of myself or to make much of Jesus?

Consumerism is indeed an enemy of our discipleship and an enemy of the Christian church. Don’t let it sneak into your heart unnoticed.