Campus senior Jenna Weimer writes a weekly blog entitled ‘HE>i, Weekly Devotions.’ Weimer hopes the devotional will encourage and challenge the FC community, as well as Feather readers online.

The great paradox of Black Friday

Last week, I saw a couple of people sitting in a “line” outside of Target and a couple of groups set up in tents next to the entrance to Best Buy. There wouldn?t have been anything abnormal about this except for the fact that a few people decided to stand in line instead of going into Target and 3 groups were camping out on Best Buy?s sidewalk. Oh, and the fact that people got in line for Black Friday at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, missing Thanksgiving.

I think they were either aiming for the early-bird sale (funny that the stores call it that since the sale actually starts late at night), or they were just trying to get on TV. I wouldn?t think being on TV would be worth sitting outside for two days, but, then again, I?m not everyone.

I just want to know what is going through these peoples’ minds. How on earth is $20 more off of a TV than the regular Black Friday price worth not only sitting outside for 2 days but also missing Thanksgiving? Sure, you can watch football on a laptop or smartphone, and sure you can take pumpkin pie out to the tent, but can I please just say, I?m pretty sure turkey doesn?t taste so great when it?s cooked in a crockpot. What?s going on?

We?ve made Thanksgiving to be more about Black Friday than it is about giving thanks and appreciating what we have (hint, check out the name), to the point that 1) we plan our Thanksgiving around Black Friday, and 2) we spend all of Thanksgiving thinking about what we?re going to get.

Stores don?t even wait to open up until the morning of Black Friday to open up; they?re now opening on Thanksgiving. That?s a little scary. Our appreciation of what we have and thanks for what God has done for us and Who He?s been to us is rudely interrupted by trips to the mall or to the Apple Store or Walmart. Honestly?

My uncle was watching football on Thanksgiving, so the TV was on all day. Have any idea what every single commercial that came on was about? I?m sure you saw them too. Black Friday. Our culture is screaming at us, “You need the newest, best, whateverest thing we have to offer. How can you be satisfied with what you have now when there?s something so much better out there for you?”

Ever wonder why God puts verses like these in the Bible:
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,'” (Hebrews 13:5, NIV).

The Hebrew word for money is equivalent to the English word mammon, which means any kind of earthly wealth, including but not limited to money. Mammon can include possessions too- TVs, cars, houses, etc. On a smaller scale, doesn?t this sound a little like Black Friday? I think so.

So, according to this verse, our source of contentment isn?t supposed to come from any form of earthly security. What does it come from then? “God has said, ?Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.?” It?s simple. Our contentment, our security, comes from knowing that God will always be with us and that He will never leave. Period. No TVs or iPhones necessary.

True contentment and fulfillment? Having confidence that God is with us and that He will never leave us. True satisfaction? Knowing that “my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, NIV).

We don’t have to worry about what we have or don’t have because we can rest assured that God will take care of us, with “glorious riches” far beyond anything we could ever try to secure our lives with here on earth.

Greater is He that is in you.

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @JennaWeimer42. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more features, read the Dec. 3 article, Guthrie grows in musical talent, experience .