Consumers

Every year, in the month of November, households across America will gather with family and friends for a meal on a holiday called Thanksgiving. It is a day when we show that we are grateful. Ironically, we do it by eating until we literally fall asleep, only to wake up the next day, and for many, go to the store and buy more stuff. Did you know that less than 1 percent of what is purchased in the consumer marketplace is being used six months after it was purchased? (J. D. Roth, review of The Story of Stuff, Get Rich Slowly [blog], June 9, 2008, https://www.getrichslowly.org/the-story-of-stuff/?fbclid=IwAR3B9dAy6ncKNqDjxrR1XMZ2R0uS9wN5C2nCPUv5Vul4LsO0HUHvj6E95-g). Think about that as you plan to shop on Black Friday: less than 1 percent of what you buy will still be used in six months. While that may seem like an over-the-top statistic, the question is worth asking: Do we treat God’s grace the same way we treat the countless items we buy? We consume and consume and never truly give thanks. Grace should lead to a life of gratitude. The Bible calls on us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18)!