WHEN I STOPPED SHOPPING AT TARGET FOR A YEAR…

Happy Anniversary Target! Today marks the day one year ago that you showed your true colors show when you unveiled your line of Satan products, and Christians worldwide began to Target YOU! I was among the masses who joined Cancel Culture and quickly called Customer Service to terminate my card. The call center rep, true to policy, politely asked why I was closing my account. In no short words, I unabashedly gave my numerous reasons about why we just don’t do Satan at our house, asking him to please take my comments straight to the top tier of management (it wasn’t this poor guys fault, he was just the middle man!) Let’s just say, he didn’t try to change my mind. He finished reciting his script and quickly ended the call. That was the end. 366 days later (its Leap Year), I still haven’t shopped at Target. It wasn’t always easy. It required some initial leg work to change some accounts and get used to shopping at other retailers. But in the end, I was firm in my convictions and have remained true to them.

I recently shared my story of tenacity with a friend. I wasn’t looking for kudos, but I was surprised by her passivity. She too claimed to have been upset by the Satan line, but it never transformed into action. How could two Christians, with agreeing views, have such polar reactions? She justified her decision of continuing to shop at Target with the classic 3 C’s of Cultural Christianity: cost, consumerism, and comfort. Do you identify with any of them? If so, I am going to challenge you today to stop living like a worldly Christian, which is no Christian at all. There is a spiritual battle raging among us. Satan is after your soul. You children’s souls. And he is not lurking in the shadows and corners anymore. He is proudly marketing himself at Target! Christian, the battle for your soul, starts in your mind. I want to empower you by giving you simple mindset shift that could be the difference for you, for your children, or others eternality.

1. Cost: We live in a world governed by Satan, the King of Trade. I know, I know…the Sunday School answer is that God is King. Of course, I believe that. Ultimately God reigns. But let’s be Realists for a moment. God, for some mysterious reason, has chosen, up until this moment, and probably the next moment, and the next and a a few more after that…to be patient, allowing Satan, from as far back as sometime between the founding of this world and the first sin in the Garden of Eden, when he fell like lightning from heaven - to hold title as the Prince of the Kingdom of the Air (Eph 2:2). Many scholars attribute his fall to pride. I don't disagree, however I think there was more to it. Ezekiel 28:16 gives us a curious insight into Satan’s government. It says that “Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence.” Among the angels, Satan was the epitome of financial success (not to mention Satan was also the most beautiful - this angel really had it all!) Sure, it wasn’t dollars, coins and fantastic plastic in heaven, but there was some sort of economic system that Satan excelled in. This domination eventually caused him to become prideful and eventually corrupt. Satan got the boot from heaven, and brought his world trade system to Earth. To this day, Satan has made disciples all over the world. Rich or poor, we are all just as susceptible as Satan was to loving money, which, we are warned, is the root of all evil. Unfortunately, currency of some sort is necessary in this world. The reason being, that none of us are infinite, like God. Even the most generous of us has a limit. God knows that and doesn’t expect us to give away all we have to our own demise, nor does he wants us to hoard it. This is why Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” - not “Give me this day my daily bread and my neighbors loaf too!” Or “Give me this day my daily bread and enough to last through 20 years of retirement.” Rather he instructs us to be wise stewards. When to spend and when to save depends on how the Holy Spirit leads you, situation by situation.

   All of that said, my friend continued supporting Target because she reasoned that “little ole me” won’t make a big enough difference on Target’s bottom line for them to care if she shops there or not. I concede. She’s right. Target, a multi-billion corporation, won’t miss my money, or your money, or her money. Last year, when Target aimed their arrow at our kids with satanic slogans on clothing reading, “Satan respects pronouns” and “The Devil is hope and love, the masses did stop shopping there for a few weeks and Target took a $10 billion hit in sales that quarter. They quickly and politically walked back their decision, stating they would return to focusing on promoting LGBTQIA+ (which Christians should be equally boycotting!). Eventually, the dust settled and most have returned to their routine of “Expecting More, Pay[ing] Less.” For some, this took a week or two, others a few months. But comfort and convenience eventually won in the end. Typical, Americans. But I expect more from my Christians. If all Christians would walk out their convictions for longer than a few weeks, Target would continue to notice!

   Which leads me back to my initial point…We started with the fact that God is King. Yet my friend justified her spending because she thought of those funds as “her money.” Aha! Did you catch the contradiction? If we believe Jesus is King at our very core, then the premise of our thinking isn’t “my money” or “…your money,” but rather, “God’s money.” This single mind-shift enables me to stand firm. In anything, in order to stay true to your convictions, you can’t focus on the why not, you have to focus on the why, or in this case, the Who. See, I’m not trying to offend Target. I’m trying to please God. I know Target doesn't care about me. But God adores me. I don’t expect Target to miss me. Rather, I know God sees everything I do - and even my heart behind them- and I will be accountable to Him for my actions and thoughts. Now, every time I spend money, I am prayerfully asking, “Is this how you would have me spend what you gave me?” “Is this pleasing to you?” “Am I buying too much?” “Is there someone else I need to be buying for in order to bless them?” Because it is God’s money, it’s powerful, and when we yield it to Him- it’s purposeful. These are questions we should be asking ourselves, not just about whether or not we should shop at a Target, but about everything we do, every day we live. This is the mind shift that will cause Christians to look and act and live like true Christians, not just consumers.

2. Consumerism: She likes their stuff. No one will argue that Target doesn't have cute stuff. Their home goods are trendy, their clothes are affordable, accessories are stylish …but is Target the only store whose stuff you like?!? Of course not! It will take some extra leg work up front, but you can find most everything you purchase at Target for a comparable price at another major retailer or online direct from the manufacturer, sometimes for a better price! Notice I said most... True story: I love the Target’s Stars Above brand of pajamas. The softest, coziest jammies of all time. Can I find them elsewhere? No. The brand is owned by Target. If you know of a comparable brand, please do let me know…but you know what? I don’t have to have exactly what I want, the way I want it. There is still joy to be had. There is still thanks to be given. If you want a one liner to teach to your kids, let this be it. “You don’t have to have everything you want, and you don’t have to want everything you have- and you can still have joy! The tricky part is that for it to stick, you have to teach it to yourself too - and model it! How do we do it? This mindset is the counter to consumerism. It’s called contentment, and it is all throughout the pages of Scripture. While he was in prison, In Phil 4, Paul wrote that he has learned to be content in every situation: whether he is hungry or full, rich or poor, with his pajamas, without his pajamas…just kidding - thats not in there. How does he do that? How do I do that? How do I teach my kids to do that? Hebrews 13:5 is speaking directly to us, “…be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Oof. Here I am pining away for Stars Above Pajamas, when the God of the universe who created and hung the actual Stars Above is right here with me. In fact, He is for me, cheering me on as I let go of the things I want for the One that I want. He is who I truly want. My heart doesn’t truly want stuff. My heart thinks it wants stuff because I have believed the consumerist lie that stuff will make me happy. Spoiler alert: Your stuff won’t make you happy. In fact, it might make you less happy because more stuff equals more clutter and more cleaning. This is how you break free from the cycle of consumerism. First, shift your mind as Col 3:1-2, tells us, and “Set [y]our minds on things above, where Christ is, and not on things of this world.” This gives me an eternal perspective, and I immediately realize I have everything I need! Take it a step further. Ephesians 1 lays out a list of all the spiritual blessings we have in Christ. You can praise God for choosing you before he even formed the world; for making you holy, for making you blameless; for loving you enough to adopt you into His royal family; for loving you and delighting in you, for redeeming you from sin, death and hell, and instead lavishing you with forgiveness, grace and love, and putting within you the Holy Spirit as a promise of the eternal inheritance you have to spend with your loving father, best friend and wise counselor. If this doesn’t bring your heart joy, what will!?!? Friend, if you have food and clothes, you have everything you need (1 Tim 6). But even more so, we have Christ- may He be everything we want.

3. Convenience/Comfort: This is the weakest argument of them all, yet perhaps the most pervasive. Ya’ll, we have cars. The fact that we don’t walk everywhere means nothing is inconvenient. Sure, maybe it’s more convenient to swing into a Target after work, or school, or practice, but could you not swing your car to the left and pull into Costco, or Wal-Mart or Publix or Home Goods instead? Target’s are strategically located near heavy retail sections of town. To find an alternative you need not look far. Even if it was less convenience, could you go around the block for God? Could you set up a new InstaCart account for God? I have even heard the argument that “I know where everything is in the store.” What?!? Then as Tony Robbins says, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.” If you can’t learn the shopping aisles of more than one store, then you probably shouldn’t be doing your shopping yourself. Just saying. Weak.

   The bottom line is this: If you are seeking comfort in your things, routines and the eases and satisfactions of life, you are seeking a false god. You are out seeking the god of comfort. Is that really the highest purpose you imagine for your life? Christian, God has so much more for you! If you are running around, seeking the god of physical and temporary conveniences, you are exhausting yourself on life’s treadmill. Convenience can’t take you anywhere. Especially anywhere with God! God will push you out of your comfort zone and all the way to the end of yourself. Then, he meets you where you are and soothes your soul. 2 Cor 1:3 -7 tells us He is the God of all comfort. He wants to comfort your heart. And with that, he wants you to comfort others hearts. How much more rich and fulfilling is that than whatever cush life you have imagined?!? In the grand scheme of eternity, not shopping at a particular store is no heroic feat of martyrdom. But there is no such thing as a small thing. Being willing to inconvenience yourself in the day in, day out, in order to live a life that shows you stand by your convictions is taking up your cross (Matt 16:24). It’s dying daily (1 Cor 15:31). It’s being a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). And it’s being a witness. Target might never notice, but your husband might. Your friends will. Your definitely children will. And what a great teaching opportunity! Friend, even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, your Heavenly Father comforts you. How much more so as you evade the aisles of Target?

Mama’s, you get one shot. Train up your children to be the type of men and women, future fathers and mothers, who one that make their decisions based not off of cost, but conviction, who doesn’t fill their lives with consumption but contentment and who isn’t seeking comfort from the world but the God of all Comfort. And that is how you, can Glo4God.