Today, I gave two talks at our Church's annual men's event, called Ignite. Similar to TEDD talks, the rules were no more than five minutes and five powerpoint slides. What follows is the first presentation; I hope you enjoy.
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Hi, my name is John Mark, and I confess I like my stuff more than I like most of you. But the Lord is at work, and it starts with a story.
Four years ago, a family member (“Sue”) had a problem. She was a lifelong collector of stuff. Her house was packed and poorly tended. Years of this unchecked accumulation and neglect had produced decay and a remarkably unpleasant odor in all she owned. At the advice of professionals, we had to throw away nearly everything in the house. It was very difficult for her, and a stark example of the warning found in Matthew 6:19. It’s hard-but good- to be confronted with the futility of our false gods.
“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy.” (Batman Begins, 2005). This was a wake-up call for me. Sue wasn’t alone in her addiction; I, too, love things far more than I ought. In fact, nearly all of us have too much. A recent study found that a typical British child owns 238 toys but consistently uses only 12. Despite fewer offspring, the average American home has tripled in size in the past 50 years and contains 300,000 items. And even popular slogans like “collect memories, not things,” have inherent in them this idea that accumulation is the goal. We have a problem.
“Let it go.” (Frozen, 2013). Finally convicted, I started purging. I sold or donated over 500 items: books, toys, games, clothes, DVDs. Though hard at first, I soon found it liberating. To my delight, I didn’t miss what I removed, nor did I need something after I jettisoned it. In fact, I enjoyed what remained more, because I had more time (and peace of mind) to appreciate it. And I made $4,000, which encouraged me further.
The Argonath in The Lord of the Rings were pillars to provoke pause in passersby. Through many trials and much error, I’ve learned a few principles to do the same in this area. First, maintain a “use it or lose it” mindset. If you have trouble with this, move every few years- it’s an impressive deterrent to accumulation. Second, develop criteria for ownership. Study your own usage patterns and use that knowledge to inform purchasing and retention decisions. Finally, set physical limits. This creates a tradeoff mindset and discourages irresponsible collecting.
I’m a work in progress. Though minimizing is now easier for me, I’m not better yet; I still love stuff and still buy too much. But this needs to happen; we cannot serve two masters, and “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) I’ll end with a challenge: get rid of 100 items in your home. Sell them, donate them, put them on a friend’s lawn. Perhaps you, too, will experience the “liberty of less,” for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
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Hi, my name is John Mark, and I confess I like my stuff more than I like most of you. But the Lord is at work, and it starts with a story.
Four years ago, a family member (“Sue”) had a problem. She was a lifelong collector of stuff. Her house was packed and poorly tended. Years of this unchecked accumulation and neglect had produced decay and a remarkably unpleasant odor in all she owned. At the advice of professionals, we had to throw away nearly everything in the house. It was very difficult for her, and a stark example of the warning found in Matthew 6:19. It’s hard-but good- to be confronted with the futility of our false gods.
“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy.” (Batman Begins, 2005). This was a wake-up call for me. Sue wasn’t alone in her addiction; I, too, love things far more than I ought. In fact, nearly all of us have too much. A recent study found that a typical British child owns 238 toys but consistently uses only 12. Despite fewer offspring, the average American home has tripled in size in the past 50 years and contains 300,000 items. And even popular slogans like “collect memories, not things,” have inherent in them this idea that accumulation is the goal. We have a problem.
Sue’s situation sparked a personal struggle. Like Gollum/Smeagol, I felt conflict within me. Change was needed but I was resisting. Thankfully, help would soon arrive from an unexpected quarter.
As a voracious reader, one day I decided on a whim to calculate how many books I could read should I enjoy a standard lifespan. The answer- .002% of the 130 million books written in English- hit me like lightning. A lifetime of dedicated pursuit for .002%?! Finally, my heart was starting to see the asininity of accumulation. All human endeavors are bounded; our stuff should be too. At that point, a message popped into my head: “there are many good things you’ll never get to experience, and that’s okay.” That has stuck with me, and to this day I repeat that phrase during times of temptation.
My mindset shifting, I started looking at possessions differently. I took stock of what I owned. And rather than asking “do I like this?” the question became “do I use this?” The answers were humbling; the way forward clear.
As a voracious reader, one day I decided on a whim to calculate how many books I could read should I enjoy a standard lifespan. The answer- .002% of the 130 million books written in English- hit me like lightning. A lifetime of dedicated pursuit for .002%?! Finally, my heart was starting to see the asininity of accumulation. All human endeavors are bounded; our stuff should be too. At that point, a message popped into my head: “there are many good things you’ll never get to experience, and that’s okay.” That has stuck with me, and to this day I repeat that phrase during times of temptation.
My mindset shifting, I started looking at possessions differently. I took stock of what I owned. And rather than asking “do I like this?” the question became “do I use this?” The answers were humbling; the way forward clear.
“Let it go.” (Frozen, 2013). Finally convicted, I started purging. I sold or donated over 500 items: books, toys, games, clothes, DVDs. Though hard at first, I soon found it liberating. To my delight, I didn’t miss what I removed, nor did I need something after I jettisoned it. In fact, I enjoyed what remained more, because I had more time (and peace of mind) to appreciate it. And I made $4,000, which encouraged me further.
The Argonath in The Lord of the Rings were pillars to provoke pause in passersby. Through many trials and much error, I’ve learned a few principles to do the same in this area. First, maintain a “use it or lose it” mindset. If you have trouble with this, move every few years- it’s an impressive deterrent to accumulation. Second, develop criteria for ownership. Study your own usage patterns and use that knowledge to inform purchasing and retention decisions. Finally, set physical limits. This creates a tradeoff mindset and discourages irresponsible collecting.
I’m a work in progress. Though minimizing is now easier for me, I’m not better yet; I still love stuff and still buy too much. But this needs to happen; we cannot serve two masters, and “one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15) I’ll end with a challenge: get rid of 100 items in your home. Sell them, donate them, put them on a friend’s lawn. Perhaps you, too, will experience the “liberty of less,” for “where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
