Malled to Death

The apostle Paul wrote, "If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that" (1 Timothy 6:8). Personally, I find Paul appealing and the mall appalling.

My wife dragged me to the mall last night so I could buy a sport coat at a store that was going out of business. The sale sounded good to me—up to 75 percent off the usual prices—but there probably aren't many people who dislike shopping malls more than I do.

If you work in retail sales, please don't take offense. I just can't help it. Malls make me feel claustrophobic, with their crowded parking lots and trendy stores crammed with customers pawing through pricey merchandise.

Like our larger culture, the mall is filled with conflicting messages. Christmas carols play background music about Jesus while browsers rummage through New Age and occult selections in the bookstore. Muscular health club representatives solicit memberships, and skinny size-four mannequins sport stylish garments in the windows of clothing stores. Meanwhile, a few yards away the food court tempts us with French fries, supersized cookies, and ice cream served in giant waffle cones. You can pay to simplify your life and reduce stress (at the 10-minute back rub booth or the place that sells candles and relaxation tapes), or you can clutter up your life even more with piles of books, computer games, and electronic gizmos.

Malls communicate one main message clearly: "You need more stuff!" If "stuff" could really satisfy us, though, the malls would quickly go out of business. True, God not only has promised to meet our needs; he does so "according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). We can enjoy a tasty meal or wear comfortable clothes with a clear conscience, for God "richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (1 Timothy 6:17).

But prosperity leads to unique tests of faith. How can we keep our eyes on Jesus in an overfed, overstuffed, overextended culture where whole industries aim to cultivate in us "a continual lust for more" (Ephesians 4:19)? How does life at the mall fit with the fact that "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15)?

Materialism is a robber. It robs God of worship. Greed is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). "You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matthew 6:24).

It robs us (and our children) of true enjoyment. Oddly, pleasure decreases with overabundance. Today you can buy 44 flavors at the local ice cream store, but do they really taste better than the plain vanilla your grandmother scooped by hand into one of those cardboardy cones when you were a child? Remember the simple joy of a cold drink of water on a hot day? A warm piece of fresh-baked bread? The delight of opening one special gift carefully purchased or handcrafted by someone who loves you? By accumulating more than we need, we dull our ability to enjoy what we have. Hearts can be empty even when closets are crammed.

It robs us of the joy of giving. If God surrounds us with material blessings, the right response isn't to wallow in guilt but to overflow in grace. We need "to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share" (1 Timothy 6:18).

At the mall, we found a nice sport coat for $39, marked down from $150. I take secret delight in thinking that at least for a day I beat the system. I haven't won the war. But so far, I'm a survivor.