Seven Lessons I Have Learned: Lesson 1 – “Stuff”
If you find that instead of the things you own serving you, that you are serving the things, get rid of them.
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Stuff, things, our possessions, they really don’t much matter. Sure, we need food, clothing, shelter, transportation, etc. There are a lot of useful tools that can make our lives easier in some ways. But don’t get emotionally attached to owning things. I can tell you that going through packing up to move, and going through downsizing, getting rid of so many things, I had to consider the meaning and purpose of all that stuff. We left so much of it behind, leaving most of it for an estate sale that barely broke even.
Be careful not to make things your purpose in life. Own things, but don’t let things own you.
I have no illusion that when I am dead anyone will value the stuff I leave behind. My collection of vinyl records, and the equipment to play it on may gather dust for a while, but no one else cares about it. My CD music collection is likewise obsolete and just taking up space. My hundreds of books? No one will ever read them. All my tools will be unappreciated. My model trains will gather dust and rust. I have seen this over and over. It’s not just when you die. Even while we are still here to enjoy the stuff, “things” rarely actually buy us very much happiness.
Be careful not to make things your purpose in life. Own things, but don’t let things own you.
I think that is why Paul calls covetousness, “idolatry” in Colossians 3:5, because when we allow material possessions to motivate us, they become our gods, our idols. Covetousness includes not just envying the possessions of others, but all materialism, greed, the love of money, being motivated by getting stuff.
If you find that instead of the things you own serving you, that you are serving the things, get rid of them.
We live in a so-called “capitalist” society, where capital is king. Invested wealth is the name of the game. Money is worshipped. Wealth buys respect. Money is supposedly the only thing that motivates workers (which is not at all true). Don’t be misled by the world around you. Wealth is no virtue. Riches are no keys to happiness.
Manage your stuff. Don’t let your stuff manage you.
My cousin is the last survivor of four brothers. His mother, my aunt, lived to 98, outliving three of her boys and her husband. When my cousin was helping her to downsize to move, she kept asking how she could ever part with various mementos. He replied, “It’s easy Ma. You hold it over the trash can, and . . . just . . .let . . . go.” Just . . . let . . . go. Yes, the hard part is letting go.
It is hard to own things, and not let the things own you. When I say I have learned this by experience, I do not mean that I have mastered that skill in my own life. I just mean, I know I would be happier if I did. I’m still working on it. There are still way too many things I still haven’t let go of, even though I can no longer pick up most of them. Don’t be like me. Get control of the stuff. Don’t let the stuff control you.
Written by our late brother John MacDougall,
Portage Ecclesia, IN,
2021