O God, I beg two favors from you before I die:
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs!
Proverbs 30:7-8 Living Bible
Have you ever seen the show, “Love It or List It”? Dissatisfied homeowners pit a designer, who will remodel the house, against a realtor, who will find them a bigger, better home.
Each episode has the same footprint. Structural/plumbing/heating/electrical issues are discovered in the present house and, by building code, must be fixed. The new listing is too big/too small/too remote/too expensive. The owners get pretty snarky with the professionals and with each other.
Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!
Psalm 23:1 Living Bible
One consistent request is more storage space. I am no minimalist, but even I can see that these people have way too much stuff. I know how hard it is to part with your things, whether or not you like or use them. After all, it’s your stuff! Bought with your own good money. But I learned years ago that if I needed more space, all I had to do was clean out a closet or two.
Consistently, too, the homeowners felt entitled to everything they want, no matter what the budget, no matter what problems surfaced in the remodel. “You promised!” they say. “If we can’t have [whatever], then why are we doing this?” Wasting our time, wasting our money …
Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have.
For God has said, “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5 Living Bible
Of course, the owners love the last house they are shown. Of course, they love the remodel. Then they have to decide whether to “love it or list it.” I try to guess, but rarely get it right.
I am not immune to the seductive lure of more or better stuff. But where does it end? There is no such thing as “enough.”
And it is he who will supply all your needs from his riches in glory
because of what Christ Jesus has done for us.
Philippians 4:19 Living Bible
All my needs. Excuse me. I need to go clean out a closet.