Too Much "Stuff"

Do You Need Stuff?
from Collegiate Magazine

"Is getting more "stuff" always a reasonable goal? Henry David Thoreau spent the better part of his life writing about man's attempt to find truth and meaning through simplified living. At some point he discovered he could live within the harmony and beauty of nature, with a clear conscience, and only work six weeks a year to support his lifestyle.

"Henry found it difficult to find a teaching job that matched his style, so he worked briefly in his father's pencil factory. At age 28, Thoreau built a small house on Walden Pond and began to devote his time to his writing. Advocating the simple life, his "Walden" journey began with: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately..."

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln.

"This does not describe the typical journey of a college graduate today. Rather, the expectation is an immediate six-figure income and the lifestyle that accompanies "success." We live in a society that embraces indulgent consumption as a visible status symbol. The fabulous house tells everyone that you have arrived, even if it takes two incomes and being trapped in an infulfilling job to make it work. The house then sets the expectations for the country club membership, private schools for the children, and attendance at the right social events. We work longer hours to pay for the new "stuff," then have less time to enjoy it. We plead with God to bless us, but the only relief from the self-imposed pressure would be to win the lottery.

"Where do we draw the line on consumption if we can afford the extras? Do you really need all of the house you qualify for? Should we really thank God for providing when we finance a car purchase equal to an annual income? Is a vacation in the Caribbean that much more satisfying than spending a week on a needy Indian reservation? Is it truly God's will that we buy into the bondage of debt? How can we give generously when payments are overdue?

"Perhaps, like Thoreau, we could take time to savor the beauty of nature around us and to smell the fresh roses of everyday life. "Simplify, simplify."

"I went to the woods to live deliberately, to confront only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Henry David Thoreau


I won't add too much commentary because in my opinion, the article speaks for itself. It makes me recall a part of Mr. Sell's keynote speech from high school graduation:

As you get your education, begin careers, and establish yourselves in life, don’t forget the things that matter most. I hope that each of you is successful in every way imaginable but don’t settle for making lots of money, having possessions, or becoming influential people in the community. Our world recognizes those who are rich, beautiful, and powerful. Strive for something more. Strive for something better. In all that you do, keep a heart for eternity. Don’t let your plans end with your death. "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treaures in heaven." (Matthew 6:19-20)

Song of the Day: Michael W. Smith - "Above All"

Verse of the Day: Matthew 6:19-20 (see above)