Cyber Monday turns 20 this year, marking two decades of explosive online shopping growth. Originally coined in 2005 to encourage e-commerce after Black Friday, the digital shopping day has now eclipsed its in-store counterpart. Last year, Cyber Monday generated an estimated $13.2 billion in sales, with shoppers spending nearly $16 million per minute during the evening rush. This year’s spending is projected to reach $14.2 billion—potentially the largest online shopping day in history. As retailers stretch discounts across weeks and blur the lines between sales events, Cyber Monday continues to shape how Americans spend, save, and seek satisfaction in the digital age.
As our culture pours billions into “once-a-year” deals, how can we guard our hearts against hurry, comparison, and excess—and choose contentment rooted in God rather than in what we can buy?
Spending is addictive, isn't it? Spending when you can save is even more enticing. But did you know that the spending frenzy of Cyber Monday has been a habit for the last 20 years? For two decades, digital consumption has been at our fingertips. It's never been easier to click "buy," scroll on Amazon, and have presents delivered the next day. But how do we as Christians pursue contentment in a culture discipled by deals?
The Deal Behind the Name
In 2005, Cyber Monday was coined by the National Retail Federation as the online shopping day on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Since then, retailers have used the name to brand a day characterized by stellar deals online. Especially after Black Friday, the "cyber" day often offers even better deals for those who didn't want to brave the crowds the day after Turkey Day.
Quickly, the day ballooned into a yearly event. Broadcast by Amazon, local retailers, and mobile shopping stores alike, Cyber Monday has become a full week or month-long discount. Online sales have dominated in-store shopping and tapped into humans' psychological drives—we want to avoid scarcity marketing at all costs, look forward to countdown timers, and see personalized ads pop up on our YouTube or Netflix for something we were just talking about!
As inflation and holiday financial stress rise, customers actually become more and more reliant on these "deals." But what if these spending habits aren't just economic, but point to something deeper? More important? More spiritual?
Where Is Your Treasure?
In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says these words about what we value:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV).
Did you catch that? Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. In other words, where you put your time, money, energy, and effort, that object of your affection will become what you live and die for.
As a Christian, I want to be clear that buying things isn't in and of itself sinful. We need the basics to survive. But we also need to live with contentment (Philippians 4), guard against greed (Luke 12), and stay away from the deceitfulness of wealth. When we continue to buy and buy and buy to our hearts' content, charging credit cards to the max and prioritizing our wants over our needs, what are we truly satisfying? Godly desires or fleshly human ones?
The spiritual risks are clear: Hurry, comparison, and a scarcity mindset will continue to haunt us. We will tie our worth to what we buy instead of to Whom we belong. But here's my invitation:
This Cyber Monday, it's okay to buy what you need and get a good deal. But approach these deals with caution. Ask yourself, "Do I really need this? And is it really a good deal?" Then, slow down. Make mindful purchases and practice gratitude for what you already have (not what you don't). You can also choose to buy from mission-driven businesses, local shops, or give instead of spending hundreds of dollars on things you don't really need. Here are a few to get you started:
-To Write Love on Her Arms- Provides Mental Health resources to those in need.
-Stay Here- Provides Mental Health resources to Christians and offers training for suicide awareness.
-I Wear Hope by Felicia Joy- Adorable shirts to provide Mental Health awareness and safety from a Christian perspective.
-Angel Tree by the Salvation Army- A wonderful way to bless children who have parents or family members who are incarcerated. These are typically local, and you may have an opportunity to deliver the gifts to those in their homes.
-Operation Christmas Child by the Samaritans' Purse- Similar to Angel Tree, but an opportunity to fill a shoebox with items for children in need all over the world. These are typically sent to children out of the country.
-Elevated Faith- This is a wonderful company that offers clothing and gifts for all ages. They donate a portion of all their profits to Christian organizations all over the world and handpick these organizations to be reputable, generous, and Godly in everything they say and do.
Setting these boundaries not only helps shape our desires, but it also ensures that marketing-driven efforts don't define us. It emphasizes a heart-formation and transformation of sorts: Cyber Monday isn't morally bad, but it does often discipline us if we aren't careful.
What Will You Crave?
For the last two decades, we've been trained to crave more, buy excess, and acquire to our hearts' desires. But what if over this next decade, we can train our hearts to want less and desire Jesus more? Is it possible to retrain our hearts, minds, and souls to desire that which lasts instead of that which is here today and gone tomorrow? I think so.
This week, make one small choice of restraint, generosity, or gratitude. You could choose to refrain from buying those new pajamas that you don't really need, buy something for someone who really needs it, or give thanks for what you already have. No matter which choice you choose, it can and will make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you.
This Cyber Monday, I've gotten 100 emails for deals and doorbusters. Instead of clicking into them, I've chosen to delete the ones I know I don't need. I've purchased a few items here and there, but in my heart, I'm verifying every purchase. I'm asking, "Do I need this? Do they need this? How can I bless others?" And that, my friends, has made all the difference.
What will you crave? The choice is yours.
A Prayer to Resist the Materialism of Cyber Monday
Dear Jesus,
Buying all the deals on Cyber Monday is tempting. We see items we desire and things we wish to gift. Instead of being quick to purchase, help us pause and look to you. While it's not a sin to buy things on this day, remind us of what really matters in the end. Help us to evaluate our purchases in the light of Scripture and to be mindful of what story our clicks are telling. Will we be known for the items we purchased and couldn't live without, or the ways we blessed and were generous towards others? We love, praise, and thank you, Jesus.
Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Vitaly Gariev
