On Owning Stuff

A missionary to Sri Lanka spoke at my church a few days ago. At the close of the service, he gave us a Buddhist monk's bowl to add to the articles on display from the many nations represented in our congregation. A monk had given it to him, stating, "All that I own in the world could be placed in this bowl."

The speaker did not elaborate, but many Buddhist monks own only these few things: their robes, that begging or alms bowl, needle and thread, a razor, and a water strainer. Sometimes we read of people who escape fire or flood with "only the clothes on their backs," but to choose such poverty voluntarily is quite another thing. I'm not advocating that we all do that, but God has actually made us with pretty simple needs—that is, actual needs. The Apostle Paul advises young Timothy, "True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. (I Timothy 6:6-10) We have made things complicated for ourselves by our lust for stuff!

It's interesting to me that we spend most of our lives accumulating things—many of which we don't need and may find we don't even really want—only to realize as we get older that now we want to "downsize," and we must start de-accumulating! I am an inveterate "saver," having acquired that specific gene, I think, from my mother! I had way too much stuff because I was convinced that some day I might need it again, but if I had thrown it out or given it away, I might have difficulty replacing it. The Lord gently reproved me, "I gave it to you once. Don't you think if you need it again, I can give it to you again?" Of course, He can and He has!

I have a long way to go yet to dis-possess myself of so much stuff. The begging bowl was a pointed reminder.

MaryMartha

Scripture quotation is taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.