A friend asked, “Dr. Dixie, is it wrong to have nice things? Some of my friends say we shouldn’t “consume” so much in the way of possessions, but I say we’re fortunate that our culture gives us so much to enjoy. So is it trash or treasure?”
I’m reprinting this at her request.
“Mr. and Mrs. Thing are a very successful, Thing-Collecting couple. At least that’s the verdict of those who measure success with the Thing-o-Meter. The Thing-o-Meter has found a startling array of Things in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Thing. Mr. and Mrs. Thing often sit on a very expensive leather Thing, almost hidden by a large number of other Things. There are Things to sit on and lean on; Things to sit at; Things to cook on and Things to eat from. Some Things are shining and new; some very old Things have been restored. Things; Things; Things.
There are Things that need to be cleaned and washed. These Things sit near the Things that are used to clean and wash the other Things. There are Things that mow and trim; Things that entertain; Things that give pleasure; Things to watch and Things with which to play; technological Things that both help and frustrate. There are Things to make the busy, hot summer cooler and more relaxed on the lake. There are Things to make the boring, cold winter warmer and more entertaining. There are Things for the big, new 4000 squarefoot Thing in which they live; Things for the garden; Things for the media room; Things for the kitchen and Things for the bedroom.
Then, there are the Things stored in the Thing-Storage-Unit. Many of these things came from someone else’s Thing-Garage- Sale. These stored Things are still awaiting their owner’s Thing-Garage-Sale, when they will be moved into someone else’s Thing-Storage-Unit across town.
There are Things with two wheels and a sidecar to put in the new Thing-Garage. There are large Motor-House-Things with four wheels. There are Things to put on top of the Motor- House-Thing. There are Things to pull behind the Motor-House-Thing and Things to add to the interior of the Motor-House-Thing. Things; Things; Things.
Standing amidst the Things they’ve collected are Mr. and Mrs. Thing, tense and frustrated because the Thing-o-Meter has located a house down the street that has more Things, bigger Things, and different colored Things than theirs. Now they must plan how to add more Things to the Things they have, and decide how to make the big Thing in which they live, bigger, to hold the new Things they will buy. Then, when it’s time for Mr. and Mrs. Thing to go to bed, they must make sure the door is locked. They set the Thing-Alarm that hopefully will keep some Thing-Taker from taking their Things.
But there’s something every Thing-Collector should know: Things won’t last. There’s always an end to Things; maybe because of an error in judgment or perhaps an economic downturn. Or maybe the children will sell the Things to the Second-Hand-Thing-Dealer. Many Things will wind up being towed off to the Wrecked-Thing-Yard. But wherever the Things go, at the end of life, the only Thing that will go into the final Thing-Box is one Thing-Collector, bereft of the Things.”
Enjoying the fruit of hard work and diligence, including a nice home, dependable car, good food and fun hobbies isn’t wrong. But too often, the drive to have “more” escalates into discontentment, debt, workaholism and hoarding, and we move from enjoying Things to being owned by Things. God warns us not to let desire for earthly Things supersede our investment in eternal Things.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NASV): “Do not heap up treasures for yourself on earth where moths, rust and worms consume and thieves break in to steal…but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [email protected]
