Do I Have Enough Stuff?

I John 2:15-17
​Do I have Enough Stuff?

For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life-is not from the father but is from the world. I John 2:16

As my eyes scan the room in front of me, my lungs fill and slowly release the heavy laden air of my weary heart, my shoulders sag, and my eyes close for a brief moment. The clutter strewn room and overflowing sink of dishes waiting their turn to enter the tightly packed dishwasher glare back at me like flashing signs warning of impending doom.  Doomed to forever live in the hallowed halls of hoarders (it's not that bad I promise) instead of the sacred palace of Pintrest. Sometimes stuff, the desire for stuff, the need for stuff and the accumulation of stuff overwhelms me. Besides that, the voice of not good enough begins to whispers in my ear. Not clean enough. Not big enough. Not new enough. Not Better House and Gardens enough. Not enough is soon joined with the voice of if only. If only you made more money. If only you had more time. If only you were a better housekeeper. If only your house looked like the one in the Pottery Barn catalog.  The not enough and if only boxing team of discontent land a few quick blows to my heart.
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The truth is I struggle with the things of the world. I am jealous of the homes I see in magazines, Facebook, Instagram, and Pintrest. I want that Pottery Barn picture perfect family room, not the cluttered chaos of my clan's cave. The desire to have the things in my life reflect the glossy advertisements tugs at my soul.  If I am not careful, those desires will slowly steal my heart away from God. The externals of my life will begin to consume my time, energy, and money. Appearance will become my measuring stick of worth. I will begin investing in the things that do not last instead of the things that do.

I John 2:15-17 tells us to not love the world nor the things of the world. We can't love the stuff around us, pursue it, and love God at the same time. When I start looking at the things around me and focus on what I don't have compared to what someone else has, my heart grows discontent. I stop trusting God and start doubting His provision in my life. My focus shifts from the deep riches of life to the fleeting trinkets of surface things. God calls me to love him and abide in him. My contentment is found in my relationship with him, not in the condition nor caliber of the contents of my habitat.  Clutter is distracting both in my heart and in my home. God does not want to deny me things, he just wants me to keep them in the right place -kind of like my stuff.

Dear Lord,
I want my eyes to stay focused on you. I want to stop playing the comparison game and become content in you. I want to know deep down in my soul that I am enough and what I have is enough. Thank you for the provisions in my life. 

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