Downsizing

"Downsizing..."  Uugg... what an ugly word - at least it is in our society.  Don't worry...  I am not going to go on a tirade about how materialistic people are, or how we should throw everything away.  But I am going to let you in on what my husband and I are doing.

We are downsizing... really downsizing.  Why?  Well, it started out as just something I wanted to do.  I wanted to simply get rid of everything we were not using - like the hairdryer that has been taking up space in the bathroom cabinet during our entire first year of marriage - like the shirts that my husband has not worn in months. 

Then, God started doing some pretty interesting things in our lives.

And our simple downsizing became... taking about 150 books and narrowing it down to the 20 we are going to keep.  Same with CDs, DVDs, clothes, kitchen gear, etc.  Even our furniture is on the chopping block (including the rocking chair in the picture below - if you are interested, let me know).

One of the many piles of books we are getting rid of.

Why, you may ask again...  Why not?

The first time we looked our "stuff," we began rationalizing what and why we needed to keep... everything.  And then, we looked at each other.  "What are we saying?!  This is just 'stuff.'  In reality, it is meaningless 'stuff.'"

One story that has been running through our minds during this process is found in Mark 10:17-22.  This story is commonly referred to as The Rich, Young Ruler.

As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked him.  “No one is good but One —God.  You know the commandments: Do not murder; do not commit adultery; do not steal; do not bear false witness; do not defraud; honor your father and mother.”  He said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth.”  Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, “You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow Me.”  But he was stunned at this demand, and he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.

No, Jesus does not mean that you cannot get to heaven unless you sell everything you own.  For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift - not from works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross we are saved.  There is nothing that we can do ourselves to earn our way to heaven.  Christ has already paid the price in full.

Jesus is referring to the young man's heart attitude.  The rich, young ruler decided that his many possessions were  more important to his heart than following after Christ.  Jesus knew the man's heart.  He knew what was "god" in his life.  The real "demand" from Jesus was that the young man fix his heart - fix his heart on Christ.  If his heart had been fixed on Christ, then selling his possessions would not have been the end of the world.

This is where my husband and I are.  We had gotten into the habit of "loving" our "stuff."  No - we did not hold it higher than God - but we did hold it pretty high - because, you know, that coffee table belonged to my grandmother... and we just have to keep it forever.

My husband is in the ministry.  Our desire to do exactly what God has planned for us - no matter what that is; no matter where that is.  And we want to be ready to jump as soon as God says, "Come, follow Me."