Luxurie

From the french [a state of great comfort & extravagant living]

I have sat with this post in my drafts for awhile. I didn't know how to write it (and I still don't). But, with Thanksgiving and Black Friday behind us and the Holiday season is here, full commercial swing and all. I might as well post this now. 

[Last week]

The other week there was a conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Minneapolis. 

LUXURY

I have seen beautiful buildings, and posh things, but because I got to live it for a couple of days, it was over the top.  Granted, I LIKED IT. I liked being pampered. I liked high class. Why not?!

I liked the granite counters, down comforter, 1,000 count Egyptian sheets, and not the mention the spectacular view! This was the view from the 19th floor...

 

It was simply breath-taking. 

And that wasn't the end of such luxury. Of course this place has a fitness center/day spa. My very loving husband sent me to go and check it out. I got a massage (first professional massage in my life!) and checked out the facility. OMGosh. I didn't want to leave the ladies locker room! It was so posh and LUXURIOUS that I could have spent the better part of the day there.

So why am I writing about all this?

It was wonderful, beautiful, and exciting. But it's not somewhere I'd like to be all the time. There's a very dangerous mindset that goes along with it all.

"I deserve this."

Can anything be further from the truth?  But, that mentality does start creeping in. "I deserve this treatment." "I am high class." "I deserve this."

Oh, how terrible is that. I don't deserve this.

COMMERCIALISM KILLS

The pampering, the nice things, stuff. None of it is bad, but it's the mentality that's pushed behind it. "I deserve this."

"I will feel better if I buy this." "I will be ________ if I get this."

I am soooo happy to hear that Black Friday sales were not the same as last year. I was sooo happy to hear that sales are down everywhere. Granted, I don't like the economy being down and people being out of jobs, but we are so sucked into stuff, it's nice to get a breather. WE DON'T NEED IT.

I live in a land of luxury, and for it I am blessed and cursed. To whom much is given, much is expected. 

I have been given much, how much more does He expect from me?

Give to the poor. Defend the widow. 

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

have the wisdom to show restraint.

Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,

for they will surely sprout wings and

fly off to the sky like an eagle."

{Proverbs 23:4-5}