Needing Less

Hello all.

I have been doing some thinking and I came to the conclusion that I am a flawed person (obvious statement). Let me explain...

I think I mentioned a while ago that it was a resolution of mine to focus less on material things and more on what's important. I find myself comparing what others have (or look like) to what I have (or look like). It's a worldly trap and one that I tend to fall into from time to time.

A wonderful woman from church wrote a blog the other day about comparison. I wanted to share a few things from it.

"The main problem in my opinion, is that when we compare ourselves with others we are competing against them...how can you trust, be open, and live in true fellowship with someone whom you're (consciously or not) competing with?"

She is dead on with that statement. I may be the only one, but this is something I definitely struggle with.

I figured the only way to fight this was to find truth in God's word and focus on it. This verse practically fell into my lap one week when I was doing my bible study...

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3: 1-3)

Man, that hit me hard. So I wrote it on a notecard and stuck it on my dashboard in my car. I'm not going to pretend that this is easy--it's not. Wanting what we don't have is in our sinful nature. But I won't give in, I will continue to fight and repeat what is truth.

I came across another quote the other day that fits perfectly with the topic.

There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.

-G. K. Chesterton

That's my goal. Focus on things above and desire less.

It won't be easy, but I truly believe that by living simply, God will be revealed in more ways than one.

My apologies for the super-long post. This is something I'm really passionate about. I don't think it's addressed enough.

J.