Money Matters

I wrote this in my journal the other day and decided this wasn't something to keep to myself. You'll probably find it humorous that I write in my journal the same way I would write here, but I'm a little on the quirky side anyway.

"I was at the mall the other day, and as I walked along I slowed down a little to watch people. Rush, rush, rush. Buy, buy, buy. More and more bags. Things they need? doubtful. Things for others? Probably not. And I began to think about how God must look down watching us shop and just sigh a sad and heavy sigh because this was never what He created this life to be. It's not about accumulating things. I mean, this is what we spend our free time doing! Life is not really about us at all. How very irresponsible of us to waste such precious time, money, and energy on things that don't last. By the time you buy new things, some of your old things have gone out of syle, and you have to buy more to keep up! How exhausting!"

"The irony in this is that as I was thinking all of these thoughts, I was contemplating buying this one pair of shoes. Very cute, very comfortable, on sale, and I had seen them once before and had debated buying them then. I passed them up once, could I do it twice?? Well, I didn't need them. In fact they were probably the last thing on earth I needed to buy."

"It was then I realized how Satan uses consumerism to draw us away from Christ as we become self-centered drones of society, buying whatever they sell us and tell us is the latest and greatest thing--sometimes even slapped with a giant red sale sticker on it. Now, I know that some things are ok to buy, but I have to wonder if others cross the line into self-centered sin? Were those shoes not just shoes any more but a shiny and stylish tool of Satan? "

"Being part crazy as I am, I started calling them Satan's shoes in my head. And no, I did not buy Satan's shoes that day, but I have fallen into his traps many times before and am sure to do it again. But next time I will be better equipped against his ploys."

Any thoughts? Am I the only one spending too much time looking for things to buy? or buying things they don't really need? What's your opinion of financial sin? Is it suppose to be all black and white, or is there a grey area?