Daily Power #320

Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns.” (Luke 12:15 NCV)

The first home that Amy and I purchased was built in 1910. It only had one closet, about three feet wide, in the whole house. In the early 1900s, many men had only one pair of work jeans, a couple of casual shirts, a suit, dress shoes, and casual shoes. And that was about it. This small closet was room enough not only for his storage but also for his wife’s.

Fast forward to today, and most homes have multiple closets, pantries, cupboards, cabinets, and bookshelves throughout. Not only do we have many options for storing our stuff, but the options are usually quite large. Many homes now have “walk-in closets.” I even toured a house that had a walk-around closet. I’m not certain, but I’m guessing ten or so laps around this closet might have equaled a mile.

Yet many people still don’t have room for all their stuff. Their bedroom closet overflows, so they put stuff in the hall closet, the attic, and even the garage. It’s not uncommon to see a garage so full of stuff that cars won’t fit. I even know people whose houses are so full that they rent storage space to store—you guessed it—more stuff.

We must work hard to remember the words of Jesus. Our life doesn’t consist in the abundance of stuff. I’m almost certain that if most of us had less stuff, we’d have more intimacy, more time, more peace, and more joy.

Today eliminate some of the stuff that doesn’t matter so you can pursue the things that really do.

Power Lift

I’m blessed with an overabundance of material possessions, Lord. Help me to let go of what I don’t need in order to make room for what I need the most.