The Dangers of “Stuff”

By Sandy Irving, NC Council of Churches Executive Board and member of Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Raleigh

I have so much stuff—stuff that consumes me, consumes my time, and consumes my energy! As I’ve struggled in my faith journey with what to buy, how much to pay for it, and where to store it, I’ve come to realize that “stuff’ may not be a gift to enjoy but an obsession that begins to become all-consuming. The day becomes ordered around time to clean, store, maintain, update, paint, repair, and on and on. Once I buy a new computer (which I find extremely useful), I begin to wonder if I need a Blackberry, a new desk, or a new monitor. Then, I find myself frustrated with all the bells and whistles on the new cell phone and the new computer that I don’t understand or know how to use.  More of my time is needed to complete the fulfillment of the “purchase”. There is no end in sight!

As a young adult I once went to a midnight madness sale to buy “two for the price of one” and came home with two skirts. Suddenly, I realized I didn’t even have room for one in my closet, and I wondered why I wasted my time buying something (actually two somethings!) I didn’t need and had no place to store. As a parent, I’ve found toys or games I bought my children stored in closets with the wrapping still unbroken years later. Why did I buy them in the first place? We live in a consumer culture and are faced daily with hundreds of ads for things we cannot live without.  Our consumerism can begin to become a god. We may find ourselves spending not just our money, but also scheduling our time around sales events that have convinced us of items that must be purchased.

I ask myself if I have I bought in to a God of Scarcity (promoted by all the ads in our media and print) and a God of Must Have, rather than the God of Abundant Life, the One who offers good gifts with no strings attached. I must put aside the messages of mass media and invest more time with the poor and the oppressed, with Biblical reflection and faith-filled people, in order to reorient my thinking and maintain my pursuit of justice and faithful living. My goals have changed. I will turn off the TV, cancel the worldly magazines, refuse to look at so many ads, and stop going to the mall unless I have a “real” need. I am trying to focus less on the missing merchandise in my life, and reorient myself toward Godly pursuits. It’s not always easy, but it is making a difference. I find myself much more thankful for the abundance with which I have been blessed.