As we begin to pack up for our move, we have had to face just how much stuff we have. And it's a LOT. We just held a garage sale for the past two days, and wowee, have we accumulated a lot of things that we do not need!
As I consider what the Bible says about stuff, this verse from Luke 12:15 leaps to my mind:
15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Which makes me take a hard look at why we obtained so many things to begin with.... was I being covetous? Did I think those things would improve my quality of life and make me happy?
Moving is forcing us to face our tendency to collect things we:
A. Think might be useful some day OR
B. Enjoyed for a while and have hung onto far beyond their time of usefulness to us OR
C. We like, but don't have a place for, so we have parked in the garage or basement OR
D. Feel attached to because someone we love once used it.
But all that stuff can become oppressive. When I saw the garage jammed full of things we hoped to sell, I almost had a panic attack. "What if people don't buy it and we have to decide whether to throw it away or bring it back into the house?" I had to admit I still actually felt attached to much of it.
God was extremely gracious to us, and most of the things did sell. That is a double-blessing because we are donating the proceeds to the new church-plant in Florida, so we could gratefully accept the extra dollars from some friends who overpaid for their purchases.
We've already decided to have another garage sale before we move, and to be even more strict with ourselves about which items we'll take to our new home. I also need to be vigilant about not allowing myself to gather too many new things in our new home. I really want to start fresh and stay on-track.
What do you think? Do you struggle with this too? I'd love to hear others' thoughts on this.
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