The world we live in is designed to make us act like rabid wolves. But this endless feral insatiability is wrapped in a pretty bow of shopping bags and Instagram ads. Though our drives and desires are incessantly bombarded with irresistible offers that change our brains and behaviors, we don’t always realize it. We live in a capitalist culture driven by over-consumption, and we are generations-numb to the drastic effects it has on our souls.
To take back our drives and desires and reprogram them with a bent toward freedom, rest, and peace, we need to take a sober look at the messaging that floods our subconscious mind every day. Though this may initially sound like hard, grueling work, there are many simple ways to reclaim the real estate of your mind so that nothing can–as the youth say–live in your head rent-free.
So how do we take a note from the flowers of the field or the birds of the air that have no worries or wants (Matthew 6:26)? It starts by fighting back against a culture of overconsumption and embracing a liturgy of less. Here’s how:
The Art of Self-Discipline
I once heard a small group leader state, “your twenties are for learning how to be a person.” This always stuck with me, not because I wasn’t already a fully functioning person, but because I knew I had a lot of self-improvement to pursue in the areas of self-discipline and consistency. I, like many other young people (and/or ADHD people), had a million ideas about things I wanted to do or try or taste or visit. But when it came to the daily habits that would help me live a balanced life and show up for others in a consistent way, I needed some growth.
Though I acknowledged my need for improvement, I was hesitant to attempt a change because I was afraid I would fail at the consistency component, like I had a dozen times before. I held internal shame that manifested as a harsh inner critic, so I would mentally beat myself up each time I tried and failed. The narrative that began to shift my behavior was that any forward movement toward my goal was still forward movement, even if it wasn’t perfect. I had to let go of my “all-or-nothing” mentality and instead celebrate each time I showed up, even for two minutes at a time. Prioritizing movement over momentum strangely helped me to gain momentum over time. Showing up felt easier, and consistency felt less intimidating.
Saying No to Shiny Objects
In today’s age, when self-discipline is not necessarily glorified, it’s easy to want to skip that step. Many people embrace hustle culture or ambitious goals without ever learning the true art of self-discipline. Thus, their dreams flicker out like a weak flame at the first sign of hardship (or the first metaphorical “squirrel” or shiny new goal that presents itself).
Because we live in a capitalist society where almost every company and every business is competing to sell you something, we are in desperate need (and low supply) of self-discipline. Our society tells us we deserve to get whatever we want whenever we want it. And this has become remarkably achievable with digital payments, online shopping, and food delivery apps.
My roommate and I often joke about “mom-ing” ourselves when we see something we want at the store, or we pass a fast food restaurant that seems irresistible. “No,” we say, “we have dinner at home” or “we have cute clothes at home.” Though this doesn’t feel very gratifying in the moment, it’s helpful to remember that most of our momentary disappointments set us up for greater future success.
Fighting Back Against Overconsumption
Unfortunately, we are being trained for overconsumption every day. Most companies aren’t aiming to destroy us – instead, many are just trying to make another buck through advertising campaigns that convince us to buy their product. It’s just business.
But what is “just business” to one person often becomes deeply personal when it begins to affect our lives and psyche. It’s hard to endure being bombarded by these messages every single hour of our day.
Approximately every 4th post we see on social media is an ad.
So, just humor me for a moment – estimate how much time you spend scrolling on social media every day. Now calculate a 4th of that. Many people spend multiple hours online each day – which means 25% of that time is spent being bombarded with messages designed to fill you with discontent and greed.
In addition to the time we spend online, we also see billboards along every highway, ads in every magazine or mail piece, and even commercials as we stream movies, digital games, and more.
The Ecosystem of Always Wanting More
This ecosystem of advertisement we live in wasn’t built for our good. It does not produce an environment where we thrive. Instead, it often leads us to feel overstimulated by too much information, overwhelmed by desires we didn’t actively cultivate, and overindulgent in things that we never really needed.
The ideal environment for us would be a daily routine where we are in control of each rhythm and message that we encounter. Unfortunately, that is far from the case. Instead, the messages that bombard us every day are actually shaping our brains and forming our thought processes…in the biblical sense, “conforming our minds to the patterns of this world.” (Romans 12:2)
Our dreams and desires are remarkably moldable by the messages we hear. In fact, advertising statistics say that we need to see a message seven times before we take action. So, unfortunately, sometimes the choices we make are simply a numbers game. This is why it’s so incredibly important to fill our lives with truth that will “transform us by the renewing of our minds.” (Rom. 12:2) If you want to take back control from the things that “live in your head rent-free,” it’s important to take an honest stock of the messages that are repetitive in your day-to-day life.
Noticing the Liturgies We Live Within
By nature, we all have rhythms and repetition in our lives. Some are intentional, like brushing your teeth every morning, and others are unintentional, like the State Farm ad that plays over and over on your cheap Hulu subscription. A liturgy is simply a repetitive rhythm that shapes us.
Since we’re emphasizing messages from advertisers, think of them as a “liturgy of wanting.” Because you are exposed to these messages in repetition, they begin to shape your desires. Maybe the first one or two didn’t influence you. But maybe by the tenth or eleventh, you’re starting to consider what it might be like to buy a new car for your family. This becomes a repetitive “wanting” that begins to shape your desires and, eventually, your actions. We, then, participate in the liturgy of wanting by either buying more stuff we don’t need (overconsumption) or sitting in self-pity and discontent because we chose not to (still a form of greed and dissatisfaction).
Additionally, because ads are designed to appeal to your felt needs, they often go deeper than simply listing the pros and cons of a product. Instead, they attempt to make you believe things about yourself. Here are a few examples:
Allstate: You’re in Good Hands. (You deserve to feel safe and protected.)
Burger King: Have It Your Way (You are entitled to have your preferences prioritized.)
AirBnB: Belong Anywhere (You deserve to be free and untethered.)
Nike: Just Do It (Your success is inevitable.)
American Express: Don’t Leave Home Without It (Your life will be fuller with more money.)
L’Oreal: Because I’m Worth It (Your value is in your beauty.)
Lay’s Potato Chips: Betcha Can’t Eat Just One (You deserve to indulge without limitations)
Do you see how ads have a way of saying something about you, your identity, or what you are entitled to? Therefore, “liturgies of wanting” shape not only our spending habits but also our internal narratives and our sense of who we are and where we fit in the world.
Embracing a Liturgy of Less
If you’ve read to this point, you may feel defeated. You might say, “but, Kayla, I can’t control the ads I see. I can’t just block it all out.” And that point, I relent, is true. Unless we plan to move to an Amish village, we will probably continue to see ads every 4th post on social media. It’s inevitable. But even in reading this post, you have done what most people fail to: notice.
The art of noticing is a powerful thing. For, when we notice, our mindset instantly begins to shift. When we notice something, we also begin evaluating its merit. So rather than subconsciously absorbing every message in an ad, you may intuitively begin to consciously push back. You may see a clothing ad that makes you feel like you will become irrelevant and silly unless you buy the latest trend. But in noticing, you may actively realize this isn’t true.
By noticing that you’ve now seen four Apple ads in a day, you may be able to consciously identify that you love your current device and don’t truly need anything more advanced. Every time you notice your heart wanting, you can fight back with a momentary reflection of thankfulness. For, what is more potent against dissatisfaction than an assured gratitude and contentment?
Though Fortune 500 executives and advertisement agency directors may spend their days in tall skyscrapers or around long conference room tables discussing the intricacies of how to stir up your heart’s desires – your greatest act of defense and defiance is simpler than you think. By practicing rhythms of contentment, you guard your heart against the subtle deceit that tries to proclaim, “if you just have this one more thing, then you’ll be happy.”
An already satisfied person doesn’t so easily fall for that trap.
The Secret Jeff Bezos Doesn’t Want You to Know
Just like we often need to treat our adult selves like toddlers (saying, “No eating out tonight. I’ve got dinner at home,”) we also may need to develop a toddler’s sense of belligerent backtalk.
Talking back to the liturgies of “more, more, more” that creep into the margins of your day places the power and agency back into your hands. It is then that we can begin to practice “liturgies of less.” Though this may not be apparent in the name, liturgies of less are also invitations into peace, presence, freedom, joy, and rest. All the things that typical “liturgies of wanting” dangle in front of us with no real way to fulfill their empty promises.
As Paul asserts in Philippians 4:11-13, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Though our culture of consumption wouldn’t want us to know it, the secret to being content actually has nothing to do with your level of wealth or frequency of shopping sprees. Contentedness, like many Christian virtues, is not dependent on your circumstances.
Practically Embracing Liturgies of Less
When I first started a journey of practicing more self-discipline a few years ago, Christ continued to call me into a new kind of stewardship. Typically, we think about stewardship as taking care of your belongings or managing your assets well. But as He called me “further up and further in” to this new kind of stewardship, it became so inextricably woven into the concept of abundance.
He has already provided me with so much.
- Do I use every item I own? How often?
- Do I give every object I own its fullest life?
- Do I actively use the objects I own in ways that bring joy to me or others?
- Is my distraction over wanting something new causing me to neglect beautiful peices I already own?
- Am I allowing each item to bring a full return on investment, being used fully?
- Am I cherishing each item by utilizing its function to the maximum capacity, or do I instead often forget about the items and leave them to collect dust in a cabinet or drawer?
- What purpose does each item play in bringing joy to others or glory to God?
Down to the smallest pen in my desk drawer, I started asking how I could use that pen to the fullest. Not that personifying inanimate objects is always a helpful tool, but when I started asking how I could help my little pen live a more adventurous life worth writing home over, I started being more content with the things I already had and using them with more frequency and joy.
Rather than collecting things to sit on shelves unused, I wanted to squeeze every ounce of usefulness and utility out of every item I owned. In this mindset, I started to view my stuff differently. I started to wonder not only how I could use each item to its fullest but also how I could help each item I owned fulfill a purpose in God’s Kingdom. Could I use that pen to write an encouraging note to a friend? Could I give that unused sweater in my dresser to a friend who might need a new sweater? I no longer remained focused on how I could be self-indulgent with things I wanted to own but wondering how I could be self-giving with the things I already owned. Game changer.
A liturgy of less isn’t just about getting rid of unused items or becoming a minimalist. It’s also about maximizing the abundant life of the things God has provided you!
When We Revert to Wanting More
Though we may practice liturgies of less by training our thought processes or noticing the messaging we take in, there will always be moments when the “liturgies of wanting” do what they were designed to do: make us want more.
Jesus knew this would be part of our reality, which is why He gave us tools to train our brains and bodies to recenter on the truth. Not only did He encourage us to practice frequent rhythms of Bible reading, prayer, dependence on God, and engagement in the Christian community, but He also gave us occasional rhythms to keep in our toolbox, like fasting, solitude, and even man-made liturgies like lent. When we become self-indulgent, sometimes the most effective way to fight back is through the mortification of the flesh. When we periodically deny ourselves and practice sacrifice (not out of self-sufficiency or a holier-than-thou complex, but out of humility and dependence on God), we tell our bodies that the desires of the flesh don’t control us. The desires of the flesh sometimes yell a little too loud, so we need practices like fasting, solitude, or lenten sacrifice to tune into God’s voice and recenter on our foundation in Him.
Rabid Wolves Don’t Have Quieted Souls
We were not created to be immune to all the messages we hear day to day. Instead, we were created to keep going back to the Source. So when you want more – go to Jesus. When you feel like you don’t have enough – go to Jesus. When you feel discontent – go to Jesus. Even when you feel grateful after an occasional shopping spree – go to Jesus. Consumption in itself isn’t bad, but the culture of overconsumption that trains our flesh to yell louder and louder until it becomes a harder to hear the still small voice of our Savior – that kind of constant consumerism drains our souls.
So, to bring it all full circle, the only thing that can calm the rapid wolves we become in a culture of overconsumption is the still small voice of Jesus.
