Storing More Stuff?
Every time our kids come home to visit, they lament the day when they’ll have to clean out the basement after our passing. The irony is that much of that stuff is theirs! I must confess though that Monique and I have contributed to a lot of the stuff that’s stored down there! When we retired from school and church work, we each moved our offices downstairs into file cabinets, onto bookcases and packed away in storage boxes. We have about maxed out the available shelving and space.
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| Self-Storage Image: uhaul.com |
Have you
noticed the one-, two-, and three-story ground-level storage buildings that dot
our communities? The “bread and butter” of U-Haul used to be in renting
trailers and box trucks for moving our stuff from point A to point B. Today,
I’m seeing more emphasis upon providing storage space in modern, secure, and
even temperature-controlled facilities.
These buildings have multiple-sized pods for every storage need. Consumers are
accumulating more and more stuff! They’ve maxed out their household space!
As we
passed by one of these big box storage facilities recently, I began to quote
Jesus who said, “Store not up for yourselves treasures on earth” from the
Sermon on the Mount. The moment I shared that wisdom, Monique’s years of
investment in children’s church education kicked in. As she began to sing and
laugh, “Hide it under a bushel?” from a favorite tune inspired from Jesus great
sermon, I quickly exclaimed, “NO!!” I was trying to head off any more stuff at
our house being carted downstairs to be hidden on another shelf!
How much
more stuff do we need? What is it going to take to make us happy? I had a
beloved seminary professor that taught the need to adopt a simpler lifestyle.
Is that even on the radar of most of us today who live in the prosperous
western part of our world? Three car garages are a staple now in home
construction and they’re usually full. Yet, many households still find the need
for additional off-site parking for” housing” the family recreational vehicles and vacation
trailer campers. For many, these have become the preferred “mobile home away
from home!”
I realize
that I have gone from preaching to meddling. I can hear many of you shifting
from “Amens!” to “Oh No!” Hold on, let’s revisit what Jesus said about things. Do
you remember that He had little interest in stuff? One day Jesus told some
would-be followers, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the
Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20, NLT). Was
He “meddling” into the business of our lives when he preached warnings about
“storing up stuff?” What was His point in telling parables about how difficult
it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God?
Stuff
could represent the building of our lives on “shifting sand” rather than the “foundation
of faith.” (Matthew 7:26-27). Since there is always a strong temptation in culture
to strive for more stuff, it would be
wise for us to check ourselves occasionally. I went by a favorite car
dealership today and shared contact information with the salesperson who came
out to meet us. Here’s the truth… I don’t need another car when I’ve already
got two in working order parked in my two-car garage!
Church leaders
(even retired pastors!) as well as folks in the pews need to “hear and heed”
this stern warning and instruction from our Lord, “Don’t store up treasures
here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves
break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot
destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Where your treasure is, there
the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21, NLT).
Likely we all
need a garage sale more than another space for more stuff! Rather than
accumulating more, we should consider giving a lot of our stored things away! The
matter of generosity factors beautifully into all of this. Here’s a good
question that should be asked, “Who could we bless by our giving some of our
stuff away?”
Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
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I like your post, as usual.
ReplyDeleteOh Mike, so true. Since Bob’s passing, I am one of those with a storage unit. Kids do not want my old stuff and grandchildren want new. Thank you for your message. I will be giving most of it away. Bless you for your message.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true Mike! When I work to clean out a closet to give to good will, the space seems to refill!
ReplyDeleteI have tried to live by less is more but it doesn’t seem to always work for me.
Thanks for your thought!!