#89 Live with Less

Why have a set of antique China dinnerware that you never use?   Why have fourteen pairs of shoes?  Why buy or build a 4,000 square foot house if the two or four or six of you with the kids can live contently and sufficiently in a 3,000 sq. ft or even a 2,000 sq.ft.?  What's the motivation behind buying or building a big house?    Why go shopping for more clothes if your closet is about to burst with dozens of clothing and what not?   Why go on a shopping spree on things you don't need?

Longing for happiness, joy, peace, and a rich and satisfying life is normal.  But those things aren't found in stuff.  Some people try to find fulfillment in new adventures, new hobbies, new friends, vacations, purchases, keeping up with the Joneses, but there's no ultimate fulfillment in stuff.  A new toy or a new experience may give you a temporary high in this illusion of fulfillment, but within days or weeks, you'll be left with that sense that something's still missing.

The more stuff you purchase and collect, the more time, energy, money, stress, it will take for you to maintain or repair or secure those things.   What's the difference between a family of four roughing it in a tent or camper for a week vs. the same family of four living in a big house?   Going camping requires to bring only the essentials, allowing you to actually spend more time with each other -- the important stuff.  Living in a big home makes each person to live more isolated from one another, with more responsibilities to maintain and repair things such as garage, sink, security system, computers, floor, heating or A/C, lawncare, and tons more.  More stuff means you have to work more to afford the lifestyle that was unnecessary to begin with.  People brought on their own stress.

Here's a few ideas.  What about giving away just a third of your closet, a third of your utensils, a third of your whatever, to other people?   Start with your bedroom or kitchen first.  Grab a big box, fill it up.  It's actually nice to have a closet with plenty of room.  It's much nicer to give those things away.  What about investing more?   If instead of buying a 3,000 sq.ft house, you instead live in a 2,000 sq.ft house, the difference in your monthly payment, in 25-35 years will be about one million dollars when invested. So, would you rather live in a simple sufficient home and have a million dollars to retire on, or would you rather spend more to show off to others people (who most likely don't give a darn or worth a darn) and have nothing to retire on?   A few people have asked us why we still drive our 2003 little Toyota Echo with 150K+ miles on it instead of getting and driving a much luxurious vehicle.  Well, for one, it's still working just fine with 35-38 miles per friggin gallon.  Two, ... why?   For what purpose?  To impress others?  Hah  :)   Dave Ramsey wrote, "People buy things they don't need with money they don't have to impress people they don't like."  LOL.

There's nothing inherently wrong with stuff, with having a big house, nice toys and gears, etc, but exactly, what's your focus on earth?  Can you imagine Jesus having to stress out about dozens of clothing items or the latest toys or what people think?   

Ecclesiastes 4:4 - "Most people are motivated for success because they envy their neighbors.  But this, too, is meaningless --like chasing the wind."

I Timothy 6:6,8 - "So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.  True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth."