Thursday, November 13, 2008

Are you a pack rat?

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19).

Increasingly, homes are being built with three car garages—and yet you still see cars parked outside, because those garages are often filled with other stuff. Many people try to solve the problem of garage clutter by purchasing a utility shed—or maybe two. But clutter is not restricted to garages. There are many products available to help organize your closets and kitchen drawers. There are containers designed to store things under your bed. And if you get really desperate for space, there are companies that will rent you a compartment in a secured facility.

This last option amazes me. I can see the need for a storage facility if you are in the process of moving or are doing major remodeling on your home. But some people use these services to store things that are out of season, or that they don’t have room for but don’t want to get rid of. My friend, if you have possessions that are gathering dust or are buried deep in a pile somewhere, you don’t need them—you’ve got too much stuff!

God gives us property to use for the good of others and to enjoy ourselves. If you own things that do neither, they are unnecessary. You need a place to sleep and eat and maintain good hygiene. You don’t need more bedrooms than you have people living in the home. You need enough clothes so that you don’t end up doing laundry every couple of days, wasting water on partial loads. You don’t need so many outfits that one closet is unable to hold them all. You need transportation for work, shopping, and going to church. You don’t need more vehicles than you have drivers in the home, and you could probably share rides with just a little planning. Art is meant to be appreciated; what good are paintings or decorative antiques that are stored away in the attic because there is no place to display them? A home theater system with a vast collection of CDs and DVDs is certainly impressive, but what good are they if you have no time to watch or listen?

Money spent on extravagances would be better off put into savings, used to support the church, or donated to a worthy charity. Our Lord expects us to use His gifts responsibly; hoarding things like a pack rat ties up resources that could be used in more beneficial ways. Take a look through your closets, attic and garage; what are you hanging on to that could be put to better use by someone else?

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