Are you one of those Black Friday shoppers? If so, as I post this, you’ve probably been out shopping for at least a couple of hours. I shudder at the thought, although I had a very good friend who used to organize her Black Friday shopping like a general planning to invade a neighboring country. Of course, that was before the internet exploded. Do people still do that?
At its most fascinating, there’s something almost epic about Black Friday. Lines serpentine around buildings. Carts overflow. People who haven’t exercised all year suddenly sprint when the doors open. It’s the one day when a $100 television marked up to $400 throughout the year and now marked down to $99 feels like a moral victory.
But tucked somewhere between the bargain bins and the flashing “75% OFF” signs, we can catch an uncomfortable glimpse of our own hearts: what we chase, what we cling to, and what we think will finally satisfy us this time.
Scripture gently nudges us back to reality: “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy… but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:19-20)
It’s not that Black Friday shopping is bad (if that’s your thing!). It’s not that good deals are bad. It’s just that good deals, even the best deals, can’t compete with God.
So today, while calculating savings and comparing discount codes, maybe the real invitation is to laugh at ourselves a little and then remember that the greatest gift we’ve ever received wasn’t purchased in a crowded store but given freely on a hill outside Jerusalem.
May your heart always be fuller than your cart, and may your soul be anchored in something no sale can touch.
Prayer: Lord, in the bustle of this day, teach us to seek treasures that last. Help me enjoy the fun without losing our focus, to laugh without forgetting gratitude, and to live generously because you have been so generous with me. Guide my steps and guard my heart. Amen.
