We can’t control the world but we can control our world.
I am not one to follow politics and I do not read the news, but I do have an ever growing sense that things are not as they should be in the world.
Hundreds of years back, class distinction was completely accepted. Where you were born in society almost certainly determined where you would feature in society.
Today, we are told that we are living in a ‘free’ world.
But are we really free?
(Remember that thought. We’re going to come back to it)
As a generation, we have taken a giant step towards being more socially aware of others and more importantly, we are more compassionate about those who are suffering and who have less than ourselves.
But what are we really doing to balance the scales.
I have begun to feel guilty for my fortunate position, in terms of money, possessions and comfort- and we are certainly not rich.
If you compare us to the poor then we would be considered filthy rich but if we are in the company of wealthy friends, we are considered extremely average. Probably, even below average.
But the feelings of guilt continue to grow. So, what can we as individuals do to be there for those that are less fortunate than ourselves.
Let’s look at scripture.
Acts 2:40-46 Living Bible (TLB)
40 Then Peter preached a long sermon, telling about Jesus and strongly urging all his listeners to save themselves from the evils of their nation. 41 And those who believed Peter were baptized—about three thousand in all! 42 They joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles’ teaching sessions and at the Communion services[a] and prayer meetings.
43 A deep sense of awe was on them all, and the apostles did many miracles.
44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other, 45 selling their possessions and dividing with those in need. 46 They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness,
It’s all in the attitude. We need to embrace an attitude of ‘enough’. We don’t need more and we probably have more than enough.
I recently watched a documentary called ‘Minimilism’ which literally addressed all the issues that I have been wrestling with.
Back to the question about ‘Are we really free?’ I think not. I think that to a degree, we are owned by materialism.
Our world is way to obsessed with stuff.
I have never considered myself to be overly acquisitive but if I am honest with myself, each month, I spend a whole lot of money on stuff that I just don’t need. Even the amount which I spend on our family groceries is overly excessive. Why do we need so much? Why do we spend so much?
The answer seems obvious. We work so hard and endure so much stress in our everyday life that our reward is to spend, spend, spend the money that we earn.
Isn’t it our right?
But it’s a vicious cycle. We work hard, we spend much, we want more and therefore we work hard and so on and so on and so on.
The world is very good at offering all sorts of wonderful things for us to spend our money on. A great portion of our income is spent on food and entertainment. Then there is sport or exercise. We need the best equipment to give us the best experience when we take on a gruelling event. And these events clutter the sports calendars and tempt even the most sedentary of people.
And yes, its great to get fit and it’s great to have a goal!
What ever happened to hiking in the mountains. It’s as if the pace of life is just to fast … a hike is too slow – doesn’t get the heart rate up enough! We’ve got to run or ride for 1 or 2 or 3 or more days. Only then have we worked hard and achieved well.
There is too much on offer and we tend to try and grab at everything.
We need to take a step back. To breathe. To be quiet and find contentment in that space.
We also need to hold on onto the things of this world a lot more loosely.
We’ve go to get back to enjoying the simplicities of life.
My challenge to myself is that I want to de-clutter my life and I am going to start by de-cluttering our house. On the first of December, I am going to ruthlessly begin the process of removing everything that we do not use or need. These things will then either be sold to cover a small debt that I have, or given away to those in need – Christmas is a wonderful time for giving.
I’m talking about the good stuff of which we have excess not the broken stuff which is literally worthless.
As a family, we are going to trim back on the toys, the clothes and even the appliances.
We are also looking to sell our home and find a smaller one which is cosy and homely. Less home to furnish, less house to maintain, less money to spend.
We would love to grow our own vegetables, keep our own chickens (for eggs), bake our own bread and enjoy down time with family and friends.
Doesn’t that sound idyllic.
It is, and it’s possible for all of us.
We need to stop rushing.
We need to stop spending.
And we need to start de-cluttering.
With Christmas around the corner, lets look at alternatives for Christmas gifts rather than plastic stuff that will eventually end up polluting the earth.
Why not bake some biscuits
Create your own card
Give a moment rather than money – a walk in the forest, a game at the beach, a drive for a country coffee, a shared afternoon building a puzzle.
Be creative, think out the box, be a wonderful blessing without buying ‘socks’!
And most of all, be encouraged to be aware of your community and love your community. Give to those in need, that which you do not need.