MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS PART IV

"CONSUME RESPONSIBLY"

Aren't beer commercials great? In beer commercial world, people argue over whether a beer should be known for being less filling or tasting great. In this world, frogs croak out words, and clydesdales dance through snow covered hills. In beer commercial world, people that drink beer are usually good looking (when's the last time you saw a beer commercial starring a guy with an inflated beer gut?) and never drunk; pretty girls are always just hanging around, and the bars are always well lit and uber hip.

But then at the very end of the commercial an announcer says quickly, "Consume Responsibly." The reason? You will get drunk, not be very attractive, no pretty girls will hang out with you, you'll end up in some dive bar with no windows hunched over a toilet. You will not care whether a beer is less filling, you will not think it tastes great and you will be dependent upon someone to drive you home on something less romantic than a clydesdale. Being responsible with our consumption (not just with beer but with all things) is pretty important stuff.

To be an American is almost synonymous with the word Consumer: It's how our economy runs. If we don't consume, our country and for that matter the world, go broke. But just because we are consumers, doesn't mean we have to consume everything placed in front of us. Biblically, we are called to be responsible, thoughtful, engaged with our consumption of the things business produces for us. So I've compiled a list of questions one can ask themselves to hopefully be a better (i.e. more biblical) consumer:

1. Is the Business ethical?

I admit, this is not a very easy question to answer a lot of the time. Some say "such and such" a company is evil, while others defend it as a fine organization. So, the rule of thumb is if you know that a company does things that violate God's law or your conscience (this could be much, depending on each individual's conscience), don't support them.

2. Is supporting this business, causing me to sin?

This may sound obvious, but if a company produces something that will cause you to sin, then don't support them. For example, there is no way in any universe, that a Christian could justify investing in a porn distributor. One may say, "Hey, I don't watch the stuff, I'm just making a profit." Sorry folks, it doesn't work like that... "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints."

Ephesians 5:3

3. Is supporting this business harmful to my neighbor?

Maybe more important than the question of whether a product is harmful to me, is whether it is harmful to my neighbor. In my mind, this is where the biggest challenge comes for Christians in North America (with regard to business). Do we buy shoes if we know they're made in sweat shops in third world countries where the workers are abused and taken for granted? What if we find out a large corporation who makes a great product, in order to make that product, is polluting and contaminating waters in India to do it? Again, I recognize that not everyone has the time or the ability to research every company in the world trying to sell them something. So the rule of thumb is, if you know a company is doing something that willfully harms your neighbor (remember your neighbor is not just Charlie next door, but every person on planet earth!), don't support them with your business.

4. Is the product needful?

Please ask yourself this question more. The following are conversations I could've had in my own head:

"Yes, yes, I know you want to eat out, but Ramen noodles will do the job for 1/30 the cost. "But Ramen noodles aren't very satisfying." "I know but they do the job right?" Yes, yes, I know you want the 60 inch flat-screen, but can you get by with the 32 inch? But 60 inches makes the characters bigger. Yes, but 32 will get the job done right?

Is there anything sinful about going out to eat all the time? No. Could the money be spent more wisely? Yes. Is there anything sinful about owning a 60 inch T.V.? No. Could the money spent on a 60 inch TV probably be spent more wisely? I'll let you answer that.

5. Is the product worth it?

Ask yourself this more too. What is worth your time, sweat, anxiety, tears etc? That is really what hard earned money represents right?

Tomorrow, we move on to the subject of Capital Punishment...

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Erick

RECEIVING FROM CHRIST...GROWING IN CHRIST...GOING WITH CHRIST...