The Matter of Hoarding

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6:17

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." Matthew 9:16

This is something that has been on my mind for awhile, and kind of fits in with what I posted about yesterday. We as people in general (myself included) seem to have a predisposition for "stuff". We think we need everything- we need it all, and we need it now. And once we get it, we need to keep it, and even if we replace it, we need to keep the old stuff...just in case. Or we get something that is so nice, so fine, that we don't use it, lest we break it or cause it to be ruined. We have attics, basements, and closets full of stuff. When we don't use this stuff, and we're keeping it for no real reason, this is called hoarding. Hoarding is being stingy with what you have and not sharing it for any reason. As followers of Christ, you would think that we would be less disposed to become hoarders, yet, here we are, with homes full of stuff because we think we should have all this stuff.

It's time to start using that stuff! I will use myself as an example. We have a basement full of stuff that just keeps getting shuffled around. For the longest time, we kept every stitch of clothing our kids had ever wore. Partly, it was frugality speaking to us, we spent a lot of money on most of those clothes, and should we have more kids, we'd need them again. But then these massive piles of clothes started speaking to us, and we knew people younger than our children who could use these clothes. Andy and I both were hesitant at first, keeping them as a "what-if", and then one time someone who had been on my mind literally came up to me and asked if we were ever going to have a rummage sale to get rid of our old clothes. I understood loud and clear, and God spoke through that woman. We went home that day and boxed up some clothes and gave it to that person. And then we gave some to someone else,and we just went on and on. As someone in need presents themselves, we pass along the clothing.

We were hoarding those clothes, plain and simple. Keeping them "just in case". Well, if that "just in case" ever did happen, wouldn't God take care of that? Whether he would provide the income to purchase new clothes, or whether he would place our need on someone else's heart, we would be provided for.

Those clothes were simply the beginning. We've found other opportunities and other things hiding in our house that other people have been more than glad to take off our hands. At the same time, we've also started using some of the stuff that we've been hiding away. Why save that fancy platter for special occasions? I pull it out and use if for dinner one night. If it breaks, it breaks. I have a plethora of seeds I've bought for this year's garden, and I can't wait for some of my plants to start sprouting so that I can share them- I certainly have no need for hundreds of tomato plants in my tiny yard. It will be fun to bless others with beautiful heirloom tomato plants. God wants us to take what we have and share it with others. When we update and upgrade something- say a computer, perhaps there's someone who could use what you no longer need. There's no reason to keep the old as a "back up". Odds are more likely that you'll never pull out that old piece of equipment again.

God has blessed us with so much! It is our choice as to whether or not we share those blessings, or hoard them and keep them for ourselves. I choose not to hoard- I choose to share what we have with those who need it. Perhaps through the act of blessing someone, God's love can be passed onto them. When we die, we can't take any of it with us to heaven, and do we really want to be that person who leaves a house full of "stuff" behind?

"I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun." Ecclesiastes 2:18-20