Avoiding Emotional Spending This Christmas
Faith & Finance with Rob West
As Christmas draws near, many of us feel the pressure to buy just one more thing—or worry the season won’t feel special unless we spend more. Tight deadlines, emotional expectations, and last-minute sales create the perfect environment for impulse spending to quietly take over. But Scripture offers a wiser, more freeing way to approach giving—one rooted in love rather than pressure.
Show Notes
As Christmas draws near, many of us feel the pressure to buy just one more thing—or worry the season won’t feel special unless we spend more. Tight deadlines, emotional expectations, and last-minute sales create the perfect environment for impulse spending to quietly take over. But Scripture offers a wiser, more freeing way to approach giving—one rooted in love rather than pressure.
Christmas brings out many good desires. We want our homes to feel warm, our families to feel loved, and our gatherings to feel joyful. Emotional spending happens when those good desires turn into pressure—internal or external. We begin asking questions like: What if this isn’t enough? What will they think if I don’t give something big? If I don’t hurry, will Christmas feel incomplete?Emotional buying often peaks in the final days before Christmas, not because we’re unwise, but because we’re human. We feel the weight of expectations, the excitement of the season, and the fear of missing out. But perfect moments aren’t purchased. They’re created through meaningful time together—not merely expensive gifts.
A Biblical Rhythm for Giving
Scripture invites us into a different rhythm. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” He wasn’t describing frantic shopping or panic-driven generosity, but joyful, intentional, heart-shaped giving.Paul echoes this in Colossians 3:2: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Christmas giving becomes a spiritual act when it flows from love, gratitude, and thoughtfulness rather than pressure or panic.Many of the most meaningful gifts can’t be boxed or wrapped—a handwritten letter, a shared meal, a family tradition, a long walk with an aging parent, or a prayer spoken over someone you love. These are gifts that shape hearts, not clutter closets.
In the final days before Christmas, urgency often speaks louder than wisdom. The sale is ending. Shelves are empty. Shipping won’t arrive on time. Suddenly, our giving comes more from fear than love.
Proverbs 21:5 offers a timely warning: “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” Hasty choices don’t just strain our finances—they strain our hearts. They rob us of peace and shift our focus from Christ to consumption.You Might Also Like
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