never enough

For some reason, as I get older, I realize more and more that over a lifetime, you can gain a whole lot of stuff. Stuff that you will use once, maybe twice, if you are dedicated maybe a third time. Is that wrong? Its interesting as I moved across the country, all we had was a 16ft long Penske truck, a car tow on the back of the truck, and one car that really ‘ have anything in it other than Amanda and I.

As we grow in our marriage and we start talking about the future, Amanda likes to go look at houses to see what kind of house that she likes. We did this last night for a while and I started to think about something. How much stuff do we have in our life that we don’t even use anymore but we refuse to get rid of it? Seriously, I think I can look through my stuff and find things that I don’t ever use on a constant basis but I can always make an excuse like “well what happens if we do this, then that will be in handy.” How many of us can make an excuse for something that we don’t use at all?

As we drove around in these new neighborhoods, old neighborhoods and wherever else we ended up looking, I noticed that these houses are probably all filled with stuff. We drove by some houses with garages open and saw all the stuff that some people have. It was almost nauseating how much stuff we can collect. I love seeing huge moving vans when families are moving in, because as your family gets bigger, the more stuff you accumulate. How much of it though is really necessary?

Do we do that with our spiritual lives? Do we store up all this stuff and not get rid of it when we need to?

That grudge from when you were in high school. The heartbreak in college that isn’t towards your wife. The toys that you never got when you were a kid. The things that don’t really matter.

How much stuff are you holding on too that you shouldn’t?

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. for where your treasure is, there your heart also will be. ”

I struggle with this very much. I always see something that I really don’t need but I can convince myself or someone else that it is necessary for something. Then I end up using it once and putting away in storage and not looking at it for a year.

Matthew 6:22-23

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

How many of us have stuff that is not good stuff? I remember helping a friend of mine move from an apartment that they lived in for like 20 years or so. From what I knew this friend of mine was a long time Christian, a long time follower, servant. When I was helping him move, I remember finding a big black box underneath a bunch of other stuff. As I went to pick the box up, the top of the box ripped open and inside was a collection of Playboys. Interesting what you can find under the corners of people’s past. Why was this box still in his house? Why is this darkness still in his life?

The great thing is that when he realized he had them, he threw them away with the rest of the crap that he didn’t need. It was amazing to see his face change from like he was holding on to too heavy of a burden to a lighter load.

Matthew 6:24

” No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Stuff can rule our lives. I need a new tv, I need a new magazine subscription, I need a new leaf blower even though the one I have works fine. I need new blinds because the ones I have I don’t like anymore. What do you really need?

The interesting thing, is that even though we buy this stuff and we keep for all of our lives here on earth, it is never enough to satisfy us.

How many times have you heard someone say that they don’t have enough to make them happy?

The greatest lesson that I am learning in my life is to be content with what I have and not worry about what I don’t need.

It is very true that you cannot serve both money and God, because one you will push to the side and one you will put in the front of your eyes.

Which one is in the front of your eye?