Kim Gibbens
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About

Heart and Sole

Do I Have Enough Stuff?

2/24/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
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.
​

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. 



0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Between a husband, 2 sons, and teaching high school my sanity is found in running and Starbucks. I have a circle of running friends who inspire me to be authentic and real as I live a life of faith before them. 

    Archives

    November 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    August 2023
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About