The more possessions, the more worry.
Hillel
A small child fills his pocket with seashells as he toddles along the beach. A young boy counts his allowance - one more time - to ensure that he has enough for another pack of pokemon cards. A teenage girl places yet another stuffed bear on the already overcrowded comforter on her bunk bed. A woman hangs a new pair of jeans from Levis in her fully packed closet. The desire to acquire is a battle that begins in childhood and continues into old age.
While we may gain a certain joy in hunting for yet another painting of Elvis on black velvet or a junker car we feel compelled to bring back to life, we will pay a price. Ans that price is not just what disappears from our wallet. We pay the price in the time we spend shopping for, cleaning, repairing, and eventually disposing of the treasures we choose to fill our home.
Jesus may have been called many things during his time here on earth, but he was never called a pack rat. Though the last three years of his life were spent traveling, the Gospels don't mention Jesus picking up even one souvenir along the way. He encouraged his disciples to travel light, leaving their extra staffs and tunics and even money behind. Granted, Jesus and his disciples depended on the generosity of those in the villages they visited to meet their physical needs. First and foremost, however, they chose to live a simple life, possessing only what they needed for their mission.
Living a simple life isn't synonymous with taking a vow of poverty. But making prayerful purchases and being resolute on getting rid of things we no longer need will help us go a long way toward cleaning up the clutter in our life. If something is broken, fix it or get rid of it. When it comes to paper, file it or toss it. Learn to appreciate the beauty of something without having to own it. Most importantly, keep the unique mission God has given us in this life clearly in mind. Then, let our home be a reflection of that purpose. Amen.
Food for Thought
With God's help, our heart should determine how much our hands will hold.
Thoughts for Simply Living
Jesus said, "Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because your true life is not made up of the things you own, no matter how rich you may be." Luke 12:15 GNT
Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received - only what you have given: a full heart enriched by honest service, live, sacrifice and courage.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Jesus said, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20-21 NIV
You will never be satisfied with impermanent, passing things, for you were not created to find your rest in them.
Thomas A Kempis
REMEMBER...
The riches God speaks highly of are those that can be stored in the heart.
People are eternal, but things break, get lost, and wear out.
Being intentional in your spending leaves you with more money to use as God leads.
Heaven's gates aren't wide enough for you to bring along a moving van.
There is nothing wrong with us possessing richest. The wrong comes when riches possess us.
Billy Graham
Resources: Simple Living for You by GRQ, Inc
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