The Value of Things
One evening, Marie chanced upon You tube videos of a British TV show featuring 2 types of people: Extreme Hoarders and Extreme Cleaners.
On one end, you would have "a collector of stuff" gone wild, her house bursting at the seams with boxes and boxes of collected clocks, toys, shoes, clothes still with labels attached, piles and piles of household items, so much so, that there was hardly any space in the house to walk through. Even the bed had a huge mound of things, and dirt that's accumulated there for years!
Then there's the "compulsive cleaner of stuff", whose favorite scent was the fragrance of bleach wafting through her home (I think she used 3 jugs a day). One episode had one lady actually licking her toilet seat just to prove her bathroom was cleaner than a plate! Another was so fixated on his christmas decor, he washed and disinfected several times, each and every Christmas ornament on his tree.
In Matthew 6, Jesus poised the question to his disciples, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” It’s easy to see that our bodies are more important than clothes and things.
And yet when we get out into the real world, we see that while “Things” rank the lowest in the 6- values hierarchy: (1.God 2.Life 3.Body 4.Money 5. Food 6.Clothes/Things), people attach a disproportionate value to it.
Even our garages seem to be a silent witness to this. Originally designed just to hold cars, garages now have become storage rooms for more possessions.
I recall a time I came home from a trip, eager to show my wife my latest bargain: it was a pair of canoe paddles. I think it was 70% off.
Now remember, I live in Manila, a city which hardly has any lakes or bodies of water in it. The beach would be around 2 hours drive away. But there was a huge pool in Metro East and I was excited by the thought of my wife and I, spending our date time, working out, getting fit and paddling together on a kayak in that giant meandering pool!
If I bought these, we didn't have to wait in line or settle for their old paddles with the heads that kept coming off; now we had our very own new ones.
Off we went on a Monday (our free day). As we settled in our kayaks, inside the pool, I realized that the paddles I had bought were way, way too long to paddle with! Instead of hitting the water, we kept hitting the sides of the pool! So much for my 70% off "bargain" that ended up as a mistake.
Even as I write this blog about Values, I'm also learning along the way.
What does the Bible say about things? Here's God's perspective on Possessions:
1. He knows what you need. He is your Provider.
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 ESV
"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 26:31-33
2. Own your things. Don't let the desire for things own you.
"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.” Luke 12;15 ESV
"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and[a] we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." 1 Timothy 6:6-8 ESV
3. Practice Gratitude. Steward with care.
Thankfulness makes people better stewards. A child that is grateful will take care of his toys more than one who feels entitled. A daily attitude of gratitude pleases the Lord and opens our eyes to the blessings God gives us each day.
4. Practice Generosity. Release with love.
"But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" 1 John 3:17 ESV
Apart from the practice of owning things, God also wants us to experience the joy of giving generously! The freedom to give is a beautiful, faith-building experience that blesses both giver and receiver.
Next week, we will talk about the 5th Value, "Food".
My Comments Policy
While my site offers visitors the ability to converse, I have a few ground rules so that our conversations will remain civil and courteous.
1. You must register in order to leave a comment. I don’t entertain pseudo, anonymous or bogus individuals. This site is my home (it has a Home Page, get it). I don’t let strangers who don’t introduce themselves into my home.
2. I love questions. I love them because a lot of times they are similar to someone else’s questions and can even trigger other questions from others. Questions also keep us all sharp. This is also why I respond to them as best as I can and at the soonest possible time. I believe that group answering benefits more people than private email exchanges.
3. We don’t have to agree. Debates are welcome. However, whether it is with me or any other visitors of my site, my rule is this: disagree if you must but keep things civil. That’s just how I run my home, and you are a visitor here. No shouting; I have seen it done in writing. No cursing and no insulting.
4. I reserve the right to delete your comments. Like I said, this is my home. I do not have an obligation to publish your comments. As a human being, you may enjoy the freedom to express your opinions on your own site but not on mine. To be specific, I will delete your comments if you post content that is in my sole opinion: (a) snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum, civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e. an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog entry.
5. You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those posts.
6. You grant me the license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. By posting comments on my site, you automatically grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, video, or presentation.
In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this clear and simple comments policy will facilitate this.
