Choices!

The thing that keeps coming up over and over as I listen to people reflect on the Consumed series is that the journey is unique to each person. Lots of ideas have been thrown around to help challenge us to less consumer-driven living. Some of these ideas make people feel mad, and other ideas make people feel guilty.

Is a credit-card-free life the ideal? Well, not necessarily. Of course, credit card debt is never good when it is used to buy things that we don't really need. But what if you pay off your balance every month and aren't tempted to use credit cards to live beyond your means? Well, then obviously credit cards are a useful tool for you.

Do you have to drive a hunk of junk to be spiritual? What if you chose to lease a car? What if you don't want to use cloth diapers? Should you feel guilty if you use the internet to connect with friends? What if you need some down time and you just want to splurge on a manicure or a fancy dinner out with friends or family or a movie or ...?

The bottom line is there are so many choices we face EVERY DAY that give us the opportunity to assess our hearts and our spending. And while the goal is to make a little bit of progress every day, we'll never achieve perfection (if we did, we wouldn't need grace)! Moreover, every one's ideal will look a little bit different. That's the great thing about God.. he's personal and he relates to us in unique ways.

So if you feel boxed in or guilty by the choices others around you are making, STOP. Pray. If you're inspired by the people around you, great... chances are you're also inspiring them. But remember to be realistic in your goals, and above all, assess what God is calling YOU to do. And rest in His grace.