Too Much Stuff

Matthew 7:13-21

I have too much stuff.

Photo by Nechirwan Kavian on Unsplash

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. - Matthew 7:13-21

Living out of a suitcase (actually four suitcases) for a quarter of a year changes one’s perspective on what one needs to live.

Half of what I brought with me, I didn’t wear at all, so the amount of stuff I required to live comfortably for four-and-a-half months fit into two suitcases.

Wow.

So, arriving home to see all of what I had left behind is a shock to the system.

Now, Jesus was not talking about stuff when he said to take the narrow gate, but the implications are there. How much of my stuff can fit through a narrow slit in the wall?

I decided to have someone come in and point out to me all the things I can live without. Yeah, I am getting a cat.

I have been advised to remove everything that can be knocked down and broken. Shelves should be empty of clutter. Stuff should be put away.

That’s good advice for when you get a cat, but it is also good advice in general. Why do I have this stuff?

A tree that has many branches produces less fruit than one that is pruned and lean.

You can check that statement for accuracy if you want. AI thinks it requires nuance, but I think it works the way it is. We don’t need all the stuff we carry around with us

There are things we hold onto and drag through life that we never use or even look at. They fill space. I have boxes of framed pictures that I used to have walls for in a previous, larger home. They are in storage. I never look at them. But I have them.

Why?

Jesus said the road is hard, so why would I carry a lot of stuff with me when I take it?

The process of removing clutter and unnecessary things from my life is not hard. It does take time. But it makes sense now. I need to do it.

I believe I am already in the kingdom of God, here, on earth. And I have all I need to live and be happy without all the clutter and baggage.

So, why would I choose to hold onto what doesn’t bring me joy or provide some use?

Instead of feeling sorry for those I have seen in my travels who have nothing, I should envy them. They are survivors. They have less, but they value what they have more.

So, it is time. I need to declutter, before I get my cat, before I get used to having all this stuff staring at me.

More to come...

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