Don’t Let Consumerism Steal Advent - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - December 16, 2025
"For the LORD has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them. They will come home and sing songs of joy on the heights of Jerusalem. They will be radiant because of the LORD's good gifts—the abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone." Jeremiah 31:11-12 (NLT)
As a girl who grew up in the Southern Baptist denomination, I had never heard of Advent, let alone understood its meaning or the celebratory preparations associated with it. However, as I grew older and my circle of influence included dear friends in the Catholic and Greek Orthodox, I recognized the beauty of Advent, a holy waiting, a pining for peace, a preparation of the hearts that whisper, "Come, Lord Jesus. Come."
Indeed, this beauty stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming social media advertisements that Advent now bombards us with. As with most festie traditions in America's consumerist culture, Advent has dwindled to a marketable calendar, book, or craft that has little, if anything, to do with Jesus. Of course, there are still beautiful, liturgical, Scripture-based Advent practices for individuals and families that are truly endearing. This year, I purchased "Advent Cards for Little Hearts" for my toddler son, so I'm certainly not against spending the dollar. But where that dollar is spent matters.
Just last night, I was on Amazon, panicking because I didn't have "enough" Advent activities for my toddler—crafts, snacks, prizes, etc. —and the thought hit me: Advent has never been about getting more, but about receiving what has already been given. It's not twenty-five chocolates, twenty-five toys, or twenty-five crafts. It's one promise that makes all other "prizes" fade in comparison.
Christ says, "Though you deserve nothing, my love for you grants you everything." Consumerism says, "You deserve everything," but it fails to mention that "everything" leaves your hands empty, your soul with nothing that lasts.
If you find your mind racing and your fingers scrolling as you frantically search for Advent to be "more" for you or your family, remember that the promise has already been fulfilled, the Gift already given. The only way our anticipation means anything is if we have already received the Gift and let it fill us with the sort of hope that will always linger, even when times are hard, even when days are long and cold.
When consumerism threatens to overshadow the way you welcome Advent into your heart and home, I pray that you remind yourself that more than calendars, cut-outs, and chocolates, what you and your family need most are twenty-five consistent reminders of the freedom of salvation. This freedom, when practiced, births joy, and I'm not sure there's a much better gift we could give anyone than Christ-bought joy.
But on days when the joy is hard to feel, and you doubt the promise includes you, I encourage you to recall the prophet Jeremiah, whose people were in captivity, yet he was confident in the Almighty, declaring His faithfulness long before the Messiah was to arrive. Meanwhile, I urge you to softly hum verses one, five, six, and seven of a classic Christmas hymn, birthed by medieval Christians and translated for us nearly twelve centuries later:
1 O come, O come, Immanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appears.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel
shall come to you, O Israel.
5 O come, O Key of David, come
and open wide our heavenly home.
Make safe for us the heavenward road
and bar the way to death's abode.
6 O come, O Bright and Morning Star,
and bring us comfort from afar!
Dispel the shadows of the night
and turn our darkness into light.
7 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all humanity.
Bid all our sad divisions cease, and be yourself our King of Peace.
-English translation by Henry Sloane Coffin (1940)
Let's pray:
Father, in this holiday season when consumerism threatens true joy, bless us with your peace. Remind us of the freedom that you already fulfilled, the promised Son who has defeated death for us all. May we slow down and savor the true meaning of Advent, reminding ourselves that the gift of hope is eternal, weathering all of life's storms, and will undoubtedly lead us home. In your holy, righteous name we pray, Amen.
Photo credit: iStock/Getty Images - Kara Gebhardt
Related Resource: Praying Through Psalm 51: Restoring the Joy of Salvation
Can a heart stained by the worst kinds of betrayal ever truly be restored?? When the world demands justice, does God offer a different way back? In this devotional on Psalm 51, we step into the wreckage of King David’s greatest failure—the affair with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. We move beyond a simple apology to uncover the specific Hebrew anatomy of David's confession: Pesha (rebellion), Avon (twistedness), and Hata'ah (missing the mark). We explore the shocking reality that under Mosaic Law, David should have faced the death penalty, yet he boldly asks God to "create a way" where the law offered none. If you’ve ever felt like your mistakes have disqualified you from God’s presence, or that you are not worthy due to your past mistakes, this episode offers a roadmap from guilt to gladness. Come ready to run toward the Father who doesn't just want your perfection, but your broken and contrite heart. If this episode helped you connect with God, be sure to follow Praying Christian Women on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
