'It's good for our soul'

Pastor Bob Wollenberg, United Presbyterian Church

Every now and then, a bunch of statistics can change the way I think about something or at least give me a bit of a jolt. Here?s a few:

? There are 300,000 items in the average American home.

? The average American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years.

? 32 percent of people with two-car garages only have room to put one vehicle in it; 25 percent don?t have room to park any vehicles.

? 3.1 percent of the world?s children live in America, but they own 40 percent of the toys consumed globally.

? The average home has more television sets than people. They are turned on an average of eight hours and 14 minutes every day.

? On average, Americans donate 1.9 percent of their income to charitable causes.

When I think of all this accumulation it makes me remember how often Jesus talked about getting rid of stuff:

?What will it profit a person if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? (Matt. 16:26)

?Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:33)

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. (Matt. 16:24)

?You cannot serve God and wealth.? (Matt. 6:24)

Summer is a wonderful time to practice getting rid of stuff. The weather is good enough to open up our closets and garages and find new homes for some of the stuff we have but don?t need.

Cleaning out our homes can be a spiritual practice. Every time we remove something we can say a little prayer that God is all we need in life. Every time we stop ourselves from adding something to our possessions, we can remember the time when Jesus instructed us to store up riches in heaven rather than in our garages.

It?s pretty clear that accumulation isn?t a new issue. Two thousand years ago, Jesus told his followers not to worry so much about the clothes we wear or what?s on the menu for dinner. He wasn?t trying to make life more difficult for his followers. He was trying to show them how to live with a little more lightness and brightness. It?s the very things that the advertising industry tells us we can?t live without that are often the source of our trouble and worry.

Try getting rid of some stuff this summer. It?s good for the soul.