Have you ever tried to clean out a closet and wondered, “How did I end up with all of this?”
Caryn has been after me for a while to clean out my side of the closet, and I know she’s right. The problem is, I also know how much time it is going to take because there are so many clothes and random things in there that I have held onto over the years.
What gets me is how many of those things probably made me happy for a little while. I bought them, enjoyed them, and then at some point they lost their shine. Now they are just hanging in a closet, sitting in a box, or taking up space in a pile.
It reminds me how temporary the happiness of stuff can be. I can be pretty good at thinking the next thing is going to make me happier, and then as soon as that thing gets old, I start looking for something else.
Jesus gives a pretty direct warning about that in Luke 12:15: “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
I don’t think having things is the problem. The question is how much of my heart I am giving to them. Am I enjoying what God has given me, or am I constantly looking to the next purchase, the next upgrade, or the next thing I think will make me happy?
A closet full of stuff can be a pretty good reminder that possessions do not stay exciting forever. Jesus does.