Changing ones perspective concerning material blessings ("stuff") in light of Matthew 6:24

Two ideas converged on the same day. One came from an article in the newspaper, the other from a listener’s response to a report on NPR. The article was titled, “They made us wealthy, if not wise,” by Joel Mokyr. It dealt with the 18th Century Enlightenment. While the entire article was well worth the read, it was the sentence that read, “The average Briton born in 1700 could expect to live about 35 years, spending his days doing hard physical work and his nights in a cold, crowded, vermin-ridden home.” It has a way of changing ones perspective on life doesn’t it … just 35 years of hard labor … hmmm!

The listener’s response – and here I am sorry that I didn’t write it down, but I was driving to St. Petersburg – but in essence she was thanking NPR for running a news report concerning the economic downturn and the collapsing housing market. Then she continued to share her perspective on the entire issue. She said that she was thankful for the downturn and the collapsing housing market because if it hadn’t occurred she and her husband would have been moving into a larger house with a much larger mortgage, which would have stretched their finances almost to the breaking point. She went on to share that what the turn of events caused them to do was to reevaluate their priorities determining what was really important in their lives. They began to move to a cash only purchasing plan. The end result is that they are much happier and in a healthier financially secure position in life. The economic events changed their perspective as to what was really important.

The other item, that came across my desk, is that prior to the housing/economic bust houses were creeping upwards in size to mini-mansions, i.e. 3,000 square feet or larger. But with the turn of events in 2008 the size of the average home in America is getting smaller … much smaller. Try 700 square feet! There are even homes being built and lived in that are just 70 square feet! Image how it would be to live in something that size. Those that are deciding to move into these houses are sharing that they are learning to live a much simpler life. They’ve learned to tell themselves no, shop with detailed lists, and make do with much less. The important question now is, “Do I really need it or can I live without it?” It is amazing what an individual can really live without. As one gentleman said, “Do I really need a TV screen that takes up an entire wall?”

Adding to the mixture of thinking is the experience of a long time friend of mine. She and her husband are in the process of downsizing in anticipation of selling their Orlando home so they can move to the mountains. Her perspective is that all of a sudden the “stuff” that brought her comfort and enjoyment is no longer that important. She enjoyed the “stuff” while she lived in the house, but now she and her husband are processing through all of it by asking just what is really important … what they would rather not live without.

Perspectives on life – from history, a response to a radio report and friends pending move – thus the question for today: What really is important? When the fires were moving across Florida and they were getting rather close to the home we lived in at the time, we looked around at the various items that weren’t in storage and determined that the only thing we would hate to lose would be a couple of boxes of pictures … the record of our life together and with the children and so, every morning as we headed off to work in the trunk of the car were the boxes of pictures. The rest we left to the fate of the surrounding fires.

Too often we … or at least I, lose sight of what is important. Because I like my “stuff” – from a few collections, to our antiques, to my library … why are they important? I don’t really know, but they are. Would I hate to lose any or all of them? Yes, but eventually someone, probably our daughters, will be left with the decision as to what to keep and what to throw away. Listening to them they have shared, while laughing, that they would simply hire one of those dumpsters to be dropped at our driveway and then they would just throw everything in it … and be done with it. I don’t think that they would actually do that, but you never know. Their comments does place in proper perspective your “stuff” as seen in the eyes of others.

All of this does cause me to pause, looking around me and wonder what is cluttering up my life? And why? I wish I knew the answer to that … I would be a very wise person now wouldn’t I? I am starting to take stock and some day I probably will shock my wife of 45 years by finally getting rid of the “dust collectors” that have come to live in our home.

The real question is a spiritual one: does the accumulation of more and more hinder my witness and slow me down so that I cannot respond as quickly to the summons of God when I hear his call? Jesus shares in Matthew 6:24: "You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.” (The Message) Just substitute “stuff” for “money” and you get the picture.

Quote for today: There are two ways to get enough: One is to accumulate more and more, the other is to desire less. G.K. Chesterton