Proverbs 16
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.
20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
My husband and I both graduated from college. We both got good jobs… he became a Park Ranger for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I became a kindergarten teacher in the pubic school system. We worked hard and, thanks to my husband’s management abilities, we saved enough to “climb the housing ladder,” from our first 3-bedroom, 1-bath fixer-upper home to a beautiful, brand new 3-bedroom, 2-bath beauty. We gradually made it our own, with furnishings and landscaping, and we even added a swimming pool.
We thought we were living the life! We had a beautiful home in a well-respected neighborhood. We had good jobs, two cars, and all of the trappings of middle-class suburbia. And we had an empty spot in our hearts. We had all of the “things,” and we liked what we did for a living, but we felt disconnected. It wasn’t about working too hard… we’ve never been afraid of hard work. It was about what we were doing with our energy – mentally AND physically. It was about being closer to our families and slowing down and appreciating people rather than things. We thought about this and talked about our dreams for months – even years – and we formulated a plan. In the end, we decided to take a GIANT leap of faith and start our own business.
In order to make this happen, we would have to sell our house with the pool – and many of our possessions – and get something much smaller and simpler. We developed a budget and vowed to stick to it – living on our retirement savings until the business could get on solid ground. And we did. We went from a large house with pool to very small house with a much smaller yard. We kept a ledger and wrote down every penny we spent each month… even if it was a soft drink from the vending machine. AND… if we had enough money left over in our grocery budget at the end of the month, we treated ourselves to Sonic® burgers!
We also got more involved in church activities. We delivered Meals on Wheels to elderly people one day a week. We rode our bicycles and visited with family members. And even with the pressures of sticking to a budget and starting a new business – and venturing into unknown territory - we were relaxed and happy. We didn’t have JCPenney, the mall, a hundred restaurant options, a multi-plex movie theater, and more… and we didn’t miss it! If you aren’t faced with these options every day, you truly do forget about them!
I wish I could say that materialism has not crept back into our lives from time to time. We have been up and down the “housing ladder” – both expanding AND downsizing through the years as our life situations changed. BUT… we have never forgotten the lesson of our first major leap. We realize that “it’s just stuff” and doesn’t make you who you are. We realize that true wealth is measured in “intangibles”… your relationship with God, family, friends, your health, your heart, and more. God is okay with us having material things… if we are good stewards of the gifts He gives us and don’t flaunt them. But He is more concerned with the gifts of the heart … and if we stay close to Him, this is where His rewards are the greatest!
©2007 Debbie Robus
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