It's just stuff!

I don't like materialism. It irritates me and nowadays it can even make me feel physically sick. I have never been one to be materialistic. I've never had the newest gadgets, a flashy car, I've never shopped at waitrose, I've lived in a house where holes in the carpets are stuck together with celotape, I've not been to the hairdresser in over a year, I wear make up from pound land, I take the soap from hotel rooms, and I live in hand me down clothes or buy clothes from the sale rack in primark or charity shops. I currently don't have a mobile phone or a car. I'm NOT complaining! :-)

After recently spending time in Swaziland with the worlds poorest people, and visiting homes where families literally have NOTHING, and also being in a devastating situation where I pretty much lost everything I owned, [beautiful gifts loved ones had given me, sentimental stuff, and precious things I had taken time to make, gone, just like that!],  I have again been reminded, literally, that stuff just doesn't matter! It's just stuff! It will die, it will end, it won't hold our hand through the trials of life. 

That expensive perfume, or make up that we 'have to have' won't save us from a dangerous situation. Our brand new state of the art phone, won't fulfil the deepest longings of our heart. That massive cheque that we are waiting to receive, although it may meet some financial needs, won't sustain our soul. The only thing and person that will ever meet all of our needs, is God!

When we don't have money in the bank, we can't go out for a meal to a resturaunt. When we have a car on the drive, we will  probably choose to drive it, rather than walk places. When we  walk places, we see more and get to spend time with God and meet people. When we don't have too many clothes in our wardrobe, we don't have time to obsess over "what shall I wear?", or "I have nothing to wear" which is a thing most women say looking at a wardrobe bursting with a zillion outfits [trust me, I've been there!] When we don't have a phone, we are not distracted by trivial games and apps on it, or the constant need to send and receive text messages. 

We live materialistic lives, and we don't even realise it. We think that our stuff isn't that important to us, but I believe we don't actually know if it is or isn't important to us until we don't have it! I'm not suggesting that we get rid of all our stuff, or that it is taken away from us in a cruel way. And I'm not suggesting that we don't spend money or buy the things we really enjoy. Most of us reading this blog will own a lot of stuff. If we have food in our belly, clothes on our back, money in the bank, then we are among the 8% of the richest people in the world!!!

My challenge is not necessarily about the stuff we have, but rather what are we doing with our stuff. Are we allowing it to be our focus? I've even been challenged with my bible. I was recently given a new bible, I love it, it looks nice, it feels nice, and the words of Jesus are in red, which is always a bonus. I love spending time in the word, but I love it even more when I love the bible I am using. But, what if I only had one of those cheap bibles, you know, the ones on recycled paper, the cover is like black cardboard and it has that distinct smell that shouts "this is the cheapest bible on the planet". If this is your bible, please don't take offence, I'm sure you love it. But would I love spending as much time reading that one as I would my beautiful new bible? Am I more concerned with the stuff that I have used to dress up the real content, or am I concerned with the one who is the very word of God? Stuff can complicate things, it can bring confusion, jealously and mostly total distraction.

What if we didn't have the Internet, a CD player, or YouTube to watch our favourite worship artist? Would we still be able to worship God, in a room, by ourselves, no cd, no instrument, just us, and God?

I believe that stuff clutters our lives. Stuff gives us momentary answers. When we are sad we buy chocolate to eat or a new outfit to wear, or play video games, it's just stuff. When we want to spend time with a friend we watch a movie [ive never understood that, if I want to spend time with someone, I TALK with them]. 

I recently read this comment, "Some people are so poor, all they have is money". We can be so focussed on the blessings that we forget the one who blesses us. We can be so focussed on the stuff we have on the outside of our lives, that we neglect, or miss what is going on on the inside of us. Our value, or how we measure Gods blessings in our lives, should not be based on what is in our external lives. But, I believe we should measure it on our internal lives, the core of who we are. The place where our attitudes, our convictions, our thoughts, dreams, fears and desires reside.

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. (Matthew 6:19-21 MSG)

The bible says, "store up for yourself treasures in heaven".

I actually don't mind going without 'luxuries' on earth, as I am daily storing up treasures in heaven. This earth is so short, so temporal, we are not here very long. I don't mind if I never visit another hair salon on earth [cutting your own hair is actually pretty fun], It doesn't matter if I don't own the best home, or drive a nice car. Each day, when I choose to love and serve my God, with the little that I do have. When I keep my attitude right, when I do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening, when I bless those who curse me, when I keep my heart and speech pure and when I trust God, He will pour out His blessings on my life. Real blessings, eternal blessings. He will give me peace in the core of who I am. His joy will saturate my heart. My faith will be enlarged. He will enable me to walk in integrity and righteousness, uprightness before my God. 

So let's take a moment today to write a list of all the things God has blessed us with. If our list has more material things than 'real' lasting things, maybe we need to re-evaluate our lives?