1 of 1

Stuff. It fills your closets, cupboards, file drawers. Yet something inside you nags for more. Shouldn't I dump that rug for a more current color? Those drapes are old and dusty. Should I bother to clean them, or just get new ones? And Isn't it time I got a new set of dishes? Nothing matches anymore. Who says china is only for brides? There's a restlessness that says whatever you have isn't quite enough. You want more and better.

In one of the more bleak sections of Ecclesiastes, the author complains, "God has given [a man] riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing for himself of all he desires; yet God does not give him power to eat of it …. This is vanity, and it is an evil affliction" (6:2). Then he adds that it'd be better to be born dead than to be plagued with this endless dissatisfaction.

You don't have to sink into this whirlpool of greed. You can combat it by practicing appreciation for what you have—especially those things that have no monetary cost. Enjoy art in a museum, books from a library, and walks in a park. Set aside one day a month as "dump day." On that day, empty a drawer, shelf, or cupboard and give away anything you don't need. When you buy something, give away two items in a similar category. (Homeless shelters, garage sales, and resale stores are great places to recycle.) Then ask God for the gift of contentment. (See also 2 Peter 1:3-15.)

Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of desire. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind. Ecclesiastes 6:9

In what situations do you wish for more? How can you combat that wishful thinking?

Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.

 1 of 1

share this page

Tweet