2. REVIEW YOUR STUFF

NEW SERIES: SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

A fundamentally human trait is the desire to own things. From houses and land, to equipment and ornamentation, wildlife and even, grotesquely, other human beings, possession is seen as hugely important. Despite Jesus’ insistence that the substance of a man’s life is not seen in the abundance of his belongings [Luke 12:15], our society’s view has always been exactly the opposite. A person’s value is frequently measured by his property; the success of his life by the amount and quality of his possessions. Even in some Christian circles, material enhancement is seen as an indicator of a person’s stature.

This worldview is a snare; our need to be valued and accepted drives many to work long hours, and comply with unreasonable demands in the workplace, in order to acquire the latest status symbol—the one the media, or the latest ‘influencer’, declares will mark us out as people who have ‘arrived’. This measure of success, however, is an illusion, for so many people from all walks of life, do not actually own their stuff, but are living on borrowed funds.

The old adage is true: the borrower is servant to the lender; when money is owed to another, we are bound to that person or institution until the debt is paid off. Credit card repayments are known to be a huge source of anxiety in the western world—perhaps it is time to review our spending habits to see whether we can eliminate some expenses and gain more rest.
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And maybe now is also the time to make the brave decision to take the necessary steps to get out of debt and walk free? You can find some helpful advice on the links below.

​THE PRICE OF OWNERSHIP

And then with ownership, real or implied, also comes responsibility. The more we own, the more we have to clean, service and keep safe—and the more we worry about it all. Possession whether we like it or not, brings stress.

As well as taking time to consider our spending habits, perhaps it’s also a good time to review our stuff and what it is costing us in terms of anxiety and stress? Are there things we can prune and actually improve our quality of life?
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The answer to this will be different for each individual or household. There are dozens of lifestyle gurus on the internet exhorting people to get rid of a certain number of items, or giving strict directives for what to keep, and what to throw out—again to achieve the ‘perfect life’. This often self-righteous mindset can potentially be as much as a snare as the encouragement towards an over-abundance. There are no rules, or brownie points in pruning our belongings—just hopefully more rest!
 
As we consider our stuff, Jesus’ words give us some perspective:

​Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
[Luke 12:32]

​Our significance doesn’t lie in the amount of our possessions—we’re Sons and Daughters of the Kingdom—it doesn’t get better than that!

THIS WEEK’S GRACE RHYTHM:

​Whatever we do in the way of pruning, let’s do it with the Lord. And if you are feeling you need to get out of debt, don’t try to do it on your own—ask the Lord for His plan.

LINKS

​https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/
https://capuk.org/  (a Christian debt counselling service)

NEXT WEEK: 
​3. MAKE THE MOST OF FREE STUFF
The privilege of enjoying things without owning them…

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​[Photo credits: Dan Gold (sweaters); Nik (washed car); Dose Media (tablet) @ Unsplash, with thanks]